My friend Tom in Australia sent me an interesting article the other night about a woman who has lost a lot of weight in a short time without the assistance of any surgery, diet aids or gimmicks. She has simply made the choice to not be obese anymore and has changed her eating habits and lifestyle to help her attain her goals. Does this sound like anyone you might know? No, me silly!
But what was interesting was something I hadn't really considered and that's the reaction of friends, family and old acquaintances who have been kind enough to notice and make mention of my changes.
The intentions are meant well and the feedback has been some serious positive reinforcement but how some comments are received might not be as intended, no matter how sincere the sentiment.
Losing over 177 pounds will obviously be noticed by folks who know you. Sure the fat is vanishing but when it comes right down to it, I'm still the same happy, loving and kind smart-ass I've always been. Yet when people see me for the first time they react as though I'm someone entirely different.
"You must be so happy" is one comment I hear a lot. I suppose it's meant as a compliment but I'm not sure it really is. Are you assuming I wasn't happy before. Many obese or over weight people are unbelievably happy. Losing the weight didn't make me more or less happy but I suppose I'm not bummed out being thinner.
Some people assume I'm sick. Granted, having been a large man my entire life, the shock of seeing me now might cause people to wonder if I have some disease that is eating away at me from the inside. Luckily that isn't the case but thanks for the concern.
It's also interesting how people focus on the actual amount of weight. "How much have you lost now?", is one I hear a lot. I suppose I have myself to blame for that one with my online updates and regular visits to the scale but does it really matter how much? Some people are hung up on weight and don't like to reveal how much they've lost for fear of people knowing where they started. Personally I couldn't care less who knows how much I weighed at my heaviest. Hell, I don't even know for sure. I just know that the last time I was able to get on a scale at a factory capable of reading my weight, I was a svelte 418.8 pounds. But I'm no fool. I know I was heavier than that at one point.
"How did you lose all that weight?" That's one I get more often than you might think. I never volunteer this information unless someone specifically asks me. I would never tell someone that this is what they need to do. But if someone does inquire, I'm more than happy to share my methods with them. Everyone is different and not all plans work the same but it's really no secret. Stop overeating and start exercising. It's not rocket science people. Once you get the weight going in the right direction, just stick with the plan and adjust as you go. I make it sound simple but if it really was, nobody would be obese. You have to change your lifestyle and stick with it. If you fall back into your old habits you've just wasted all that hard work. It's okay to falter but recover quickly and keep moving forward.
When it comes to food, I think a lot of people think I had to starve myself and give up eating everything I like. That couldn't be further from the truth. Sure, I could have gone vegan or paleo or juicing myself to a lighter me. I'm still eating pizza, burgers, fast food and all that stuff I probably shouldn't. The difference is, I don't eat it every day like the old me did. And I don't stuff myself until my sides are about to burst. You can eat what you want, just make sure you don't exceed your daily calorie allowance by too much. Some people will actually say my method isn't right or what they do. Great! Do what you need to do. Obviously my plan has worked for me. I still love food and will never stop eating what I like.
I never started this with the intention of being a role model or inspiration for others. This was a completely selfish endeavour for me. However, despite my original intentions, it has become clear that my transformation struck a chord with many others. Perhaps it was seeing someone who has struggled with their weight their entire life like them or maybe they've added a few pounds recently. If my journey has been a positive influence on others then fantastic. I know I've had role models and inspiration along the way also so every little bit of extra push helps. My only advice, be patient. Don't expect miracles to happen over night. This is something you have to stick with and trust the process, even when it seems like you've reached your limit. Keep working at it and don't ever stop.
Believe me when I say I don't take offense to any of the kudos or comments. Quite the opposite actually. I just found it interesting the reactions of people who have known me all my life. Not everyone of course but some look at me or talk to me as if I'm a completely different person. Anyone that knows me well can tell them, I'm still the same adorable and sexy man I've always been.
Showing posts with label Diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diet. Show all posts
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Friday, April 11, 2014
Miracles Do Happen
When I think back to the day I made the choice to lose weight, it amazes me that I've stayed true to the plan over a year later.
Like so many other times in the past, when I made the decision to make it really happen this time after failing countless times in the past, in the back of my mind I was thinking, "you're probably going to fail again like all the times before." But surprisingly that isn't the case.
Yesterday, after beginning this journey in October of 2012 halfheartedly and then with more serious desire in March of 2013, I finally reached my original weight loss goal. As many of you know who have been following my efforts, I started at a maximum weight of 418.8 pounds and I set a goal of 250 pounds. In actual fact I weighed much more than 418 at one point but didn't have a true weight measurement to go on until I weighed in at 418.8. Yesterday when I stepped on the scale I was thrilled to read the numbers that showed up. I was past my goal and weighed 249.3 pounds. I've officially lost 169.5 pounds to date.
As you might imagine it was a rather emotional moment for me.
I didn't cry or anything but the sense of accomplishment and pride I felt was beyond words.
If you were to ask me what was different this time after failing so many times before, I don't know if I could say for certain what changed. Where did this new found willpower and fear of failure come from? How did I commit to eating less and changing my eating habits? Where did the energy come from to start walking every day which eventually turned me into a gym rat spending five days a week on the elliptical, treadmill and lifting weights?
Beats the hell out of me.
Obviously the diagnosis of being a diabetic was a huge motivating factor. Seeing changes in my body that were indicators of a potential deadly outcome in the not too distant future was motivating. Getting winded while struggling to get out of bed, get dressed or climb stairs was motivating. The thought of being bed-ridden, wheelchair bound or attending my own funeral before I turned 50 was motivating.
Just one of those things should have been motivating enough but to combine them all and finally have the light bulb go off in my brain and realize that I'm not ready to die probably got things going in a a positive direction for the first time in my life.
And now that I've actually reached the goal I set for myself I can take a moment to look back. But only a moment because I want to forget that version of me ever existed. Well, I don't want to forget entirely because I need to remember where I came from to recognize the signs that I'm not being as healthy as I need to be and to prevent it from ever happening again.
I've yet to set a new goal for myself because I don't really know what would be realistic.
I've been toying with the idea of setting the new goal for 218.8 pounds. If I succeed in reaching that goal I would have lost a total of 200 pounds.
I'm not sure it's possible though. And then there's the debate over what to do about any excess skin I have left behind. Forty plus years of being obese and then losing a lot of weight leaves behind some unsightly skin. I'd rather have that then the weight but it's still not pretty to look at...not that anyone sees me naked. But I have to look in the mirror so it might be something I can discuss with my doctor down the road. For now, I'm not planning on wearing a Speedo on the beach or being on the cover of GQ or Muscle and Fitness, so I can live with it.
Not long into this weight loss journey I wondered what I might do to celebrate or mark the occasion if I reached my goal. I don't have any tattoos on my body and I've never really had any desire to get one, mainly because I could never think of anything I wanted bad enough to have it permanently inked into my skin. I'm still open to the idea but don't have a clue what I'd get or where I'd put it. The thought of it is kinda neat and I know that it would mean something special as it would mark a significant achievement in my life. I'm open to suggestions if anyone wants to provide any.
So I'm going to enjoy this moment for a bit while continuing to watch what I eat and work out. Soon I'll be golfing again and will be back to walking the golf course and climbing the hills which is always some good exercise, even if my game is complete crap. It's all about the greater good though.
Like so many other times in the past, when I made the decision to make it really happen this time after failing countless times in the past, in the back of my mind I was thinking, "you're probably going to fail again like all the times before." But surprisingly that isn't the case.
Yesterday, after beginning this journey in October of 2012 halfheartedly and then with more serious desire in March of 2013, I finally reached my original weight loss goal. As many of you know who have been following my efforts, I started at a maximum weight of 418.8 pounds and I set a goal of 250 pounds. In actual fact I weighed much more than 418 at one point but didn't have a true weight measurement to go on until I weighed in at 418.8. Yesterday when I stepped on the scale I was thrilled to read the numbers that showed up. I was past my goal and weighed 249.3 pounds. I've officially lost 169.5 pounds to date.
As you might imagine it was a rather emotional moment for me.
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| Click image to see larger |
If you were to ask me what was different this time after failing so many times before, I don't know if I could say for certain what changed. Where did this new found willpower and fear of failure come from? How did I commit to eating less and changing my eating habits? Where did the energy come from to start walking every day which eventually turned me into a gym rat spending five days a week on the elliptical, treadmill and lifting weights?
Beats the hell out of me.
Obviously the diagnosis of being a diabetic was a huge motivating factor. Seeing changes in my body that were indicators of a potential deadly outcome in the not too distant future was motivating. Getting winded while struggling to get out of bed, get dressed or climb stairs was motivating. The thought of being bed-ridden, wheelchair bound or attending my own funeral before I turned 50 was motivating.
Just one of those things should have been motivating enough but to combine them all and finally have the light bulb go off in my brain and realize that I'm not ready to die probably got things going in a a positive direction for the first time in my life.
And now that I've actually reached the goal I set for myself I can take a moment to look back. But only a moment because I want to forget that version of me ever existed. Well, I don't want to forget entirely because I need to remember where I came from to recognize the signs that I'm not being as healthy as I need to be and to prevent it from ever happening again.
I've yet to set a new goal for myself because I don't really know what would be realistic.
Not long into this weight loss journey I wondered what I might do to celebrate or mark the occasion if I reached my goal. I don't have any tattoos on my body and I've never really had any desire to get one, mainly because I could never think of anything I wanted bad enough to have it permanently inked into my skin. I'm still open to the idea but don't have a clue what I'd get or where I'd put it. The thought of it is kinda neat and I know that it would mean something special as it would mark a significant achievement in my life. I'm open to suggestions if anyone wants to provide any.
So I'm going to enjoy this moment for a bit while continuing to watch what I eat and work out. Soon I'll be golfing again and will be back to walking the golf course and climbing the hills which is always some good exercise, even if my game is complete crap. It's all about the greater good though.
Friday, February 28, 2014
A Year Already! Well, Almost.
Although my weight loss journey really kinda sorta maybe began in the Fall of 2012, the real work began nearly one year ago and it still seems like a dream to me that this is really happening.
It was March 2013 when I was officially diagnosed with Diabetes and placed on oral medication to help bring my blood sugars under control. That’s not to say they were completely insane but certainly elevated and worthy of concern. My doctor at the time had me on a couple of different pills to quickly bring my numbers down. I was posting readings of 14 to 16 mmol/L which is a far cry from the range of 4.5 to 6.0 readings I’m getting now. My usual readings are right around 5.1 mmol/L which I’m very happy with.
My doctor eventually was pleased with my weight loss and reduced my daily pill intake which made me happy. I want to avoid insulin if possible just because to me that seems like a warning sign that things aren’t getting better. That’s my uneducated diagnosis any way.
But it was right after my doctor gave me the bad news that the alarms went off in my head. It was time to stop being such a wimp, grow some balls and get serious about changing and improving my life.You might think that going from eating whatever and whenever I wanted to counting calories and downsizing my portions would be a tough thing to do. Let me tell you, you’re right!
I love food. And not the leafy green, low calorie stuff. I like fried foods, fast food, greasy food, bread, butter…basically anything you can think of that isn’t considered healthy, that’s what I liked to eat. I’ve never sat down and calculated what a typical day of calories would have been for the old me when I didn’t try to keep an eye on things but I can imagine I was pushing anywhere from 5000 to 7000 calories in a day without trying. Now I shoot for around 1800 calories a day…give or take.
But it wasn’t just the calories that were an issue. After spending my youth, teens and 20’s being pretty active, that all changed and I found myself spending more time in front of the computer or the TV. I stopped being active and if you’re not doing anything to burn the calories, well, the resulting obese mess I became spoke volumes.
Yes, its been nearly a year since I finally got a clue and decided to get healthy. That isn’t to say I was then or am now expecting to become a GQ model and have six pack abs and a rock hard body. Come on! I’m not living in a fantasy world. After decades of abusing myself, I knew the best case scenario was likely going to be getting into the mid-200’s if I was lucky. I’d still have a flabby stomach and thighs but dropping my weight from 420 pounds to that would be a huge game changer.
So here I am today, 11 months into my determined effort to shape a new and improved version of myself and I think I’ve done a pretty decent job so far.
My current weight sits around 261 pounds. Now it would likely be even lower than that but I’m doing a fair bet of weight lifting and building muscle which adds weight. So I’m happy to break even there. If I’m adding muscle and my weight isn’t going up, then I must still be burning fat. Truth is, I know I am. I can still see my waistline shrinking as I can nearly get into another smaller pair of jeans. Even my watch and my Fitbit bracelet on my wrists can be done up to a tighter spot now. The separation between my thighs continues to grow. Truth be told, I just wish my ass looked better. I wish I had an ass!
I never thought I’d be a gym guy but I really like going. I try to work out five days a week using the treadmill and elliptical machines for cardio and of course the weights for muscle building. I don’t have any work out buddies and stick mainly to myself which is kind of boring but at the same time I can focus on what I’m doing and get the job done without distractions. People at the gym seem friendly although most seem to keep to themselves. We do a lot of head nodding and smiles as greetings. Not a lot of talking. Of course most people wear headphones to listen to music while working up a sweat. I’m no different but will gladly turn the tunes off if anyone wants to chit chat. I can think of a few ladies worth taking the time to converse with.
It was March 2013 when I was officially diagnosed with Diabetes and placed on oral medication to help bring my blood sugars under control. That’s not to say they were completely insane but certainly elevated and worthy of concern. My doctor at the time had me on a couple of different pills to quickly bring my numbers down. I was posting readings of 14 to 16 mmol/L which is a far cry from the range of 4.5 to 6.0 readings I’m getting now. My usual readings are right around 5.1 mmol/L which I’m very happy with.
My doctor eventually was pleased with my weight loss and reduced my daily pill intake which made me happy. I want to avoid insulin if possible just because to me that seems like a warning sign that things aren’t getting better. That’s my uneducated diagnosis any way.
But it was right after my doctor gave me the bad news that the alarms went off in my head. It was time to stop being such a wimp, grow some balls and get serious about changing and improving my life.You might think that going from eating whatever and whenever I wanted to counting calories and downsizing my portions would be a tough thing to do. Let me tell you, you’re right! I love food. And not the leafy green, low calorie stuff. I like fried foods, fast food, greasy food, bread, butter…basically anything you can think of that isn’t considered healthy, that’s what I liked to eat. I’ve never sat down and calculated what a typical day of calories would have been for the old me when I didn’t try to keep an eye on things but I can imagine I was pushing anywhere from 5000 to 7000 calories in a day without trying. Now I shoot for around 1800 calories a day…give or take.
But it wasn’t just the calories that were an issue. After spending my youth, teens and 20’s being pretty active, that all changed and I found myself spending more time in front of the computer or the TV. I stopped being active and if you’re not doing anything to burn the calories, well, the resulting obese mess I became spoke volumes.
Yes, its been nearly a year since I finally got a clue and decided to get healthy. That isn’t to say I was then or am now expecting to become a GQ model and have six pack abs and a rock hard body. Come on! I’m not living in a fantasy world. After decades of abusing myself, I knew the best case scenario was likely going to be getting into the mid-200’s if I was lucky. I’d still have a flabby stomach and thighs but dropping my weight from 420 pounds to that would be a huge game changer.
So here I am today, 11 months into my determined effort to shape a new and improved version of myself and I think I’ve done a pretty decent job so far.
My current weight sits around 261 pounds. Now it would likely be even lower than that but I’m doing a fair bet of weight lifting and building muscle which adds weight. So I’m happy to break even there. If I’m adding muscle and my weight isn’t going up, then I must still be burning fat. Truth is, I know I am. I can still see my waistline shrinking as I can nearly get into another smaller pair of jeans. Even my watch and my Fitbit bracelet on my wrists can be done up to a tighter spot now. The separation between my thighs continues to grow. Truth be told, I just wish my ass looked better. I wish I had an ass!
I never thought I’d be a gym guy but I really like going. I try to work out five days a week using the treadmill and elliptical machines for cardio and of course the weights for muscle building. I don’t have any work out buddies and stick mainly to myself which is kind of boring but at the same time I can focus on what I’m doing and get the job done without distractions. People at the gym seem friendly although most seem to keep to themselves. We do a lot of head nodding and smiles as greetings. Not a lot of talking. Of course most people wear headphones to listen to music while working up a sweat. I’m no different but will gladly turn the tunes off if anyone wants to chit chat. I can think of a few ladies worth taking the time to converse with.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Another Year Goes Bye Bye
Another holiday season has crept up on us quicker than usual. It still feels like just yesterday I was sitting in front of a campfire next to the lake swatting mosquitoes and swapping stories with friends and family.
Alas, that is not the case and Christmas lights on the houses, freezing cold temperatures and snow on the ground are a clear indication that Santa and his reindeer will be embarking on their annual journey very soon.
This also means another year has almost been completed and what a year it has been.
It seems only appropriate to take a moment to reflect on the year that has flown by in the blink of an eye.
I think we can all agree that 2013 has been interesting and quite a successful year for me personally. No I didn't get a big raise or change jobs although I won't lie, both of those things sound pretty good to me but in this economy, any year where I'm not standing in line waiting to be fed, out looking for a job or waiting for a government assistance cheque to arrive is a good one in my books. Sure things could always be better but they can also be a lot worse as well.
I could sit here and reminisce about all of the big news stories from 2013 but I'm sure others will delve into those things in greater detail. Certainly in Canada the big stories of the year were Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's admission of crack use and the Canadian Senate scandal. Both of those stories will continue into 2014 no doubt.
In sports I'm happy to see my Montreal Canadiens playing and competing much better this season. It has been a pleasant surprise. I wish I could have said the same for the Toronto Blue Jays who reached a level of disappointment usually only attained by the Leafs and Raptors. But as they say, there's always next year. My own golf game was equally depressing in 2013. I was tempted to call the cops to help me locate my missing golf swing but instead I just continued to struggle and work on my foul language vocabulary.
The world lost some pretty great and interesting people this year. Among those that left us were Nelson Mandela, Musician Lou Reed, Actor James Gandolfini, Canadian actor Cory Monteith, Annette Funicello, Roger Ebert, Margaret Thatcher, Jonathan Winters, David Frost and Tom Clancy just to name a few.
My own family had some issues this year with both my parents having visits to the hospital but fortunately they appear to have recovered nicely.
The rest of my family is doing well so I'm pretty blessed in that department.
By far the most enjoyable event of 2013 for me was my continued efforts to improve my health. In a little over a year I've lost 155 pounds through exercise and changes to my eating habits. Basically I'm getting off my ass a lot more and shoving food down my throat a lot less which seems to be working to this point.
I'm hitting the gym up to five times a week since joining a little over a month ago and I'm noticing a change to my appearance as my muscles which were ignored for so long start to bounce back into shape.
The best part for me is regaining my life and eliminating the aches and pains I struggled with on a daily basis. It's amazing the things that thin and healthy people take for granted that obese people struggle with every day. I'm happy to say a lot of those issues have been eliminated for me finally. Every day is a challenge but after years of failing, I now know that I have it in me to succeed.
I could go on and bore you to sleep (if I haven't already) but I wanted to make this quick. I'm going to be very busy over the next several weeks and likely won't be updating my blog again until later in January.
Most importantly I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has supported me over the last year and been so encouraging. From the people I talked to almost daily to old acquaintances I've passed in the street, every compliment and congratulation has meant a great deal and has been very much appreciated.
My hope is that all of you have a Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year. See you in 2014!
Alas, that is not the case and Christmas lights on the houses, freezing cold temperatures and snow on the ground are a clear indication that Santa and his reindeer will be embarking on their annual journey very soon.
This also means another year has almost been completed and what a year it has been.
It seems only appropriate to take a moment to reflect on the year that has flown by in the blink of an eye.
I think we can all agree that 2013 has been interesting and quite a successful year for me personally. No I didn't get a big raise or change jobs although I won't lie, both of those things sound pretty good to me but in this economy, any year where I'm not standing in line waiting to be fed, out looking for a job or waiting for a government assistance cheque to arrive is a good one in my books. Sure things could always be better but they can also be a lot worse as well.
I could sit here and reminisce about all of the big news stories from 2013 but I'm sure others will delve into those things in greater detail. Certainly in Canada the big stories of the year were Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's admission of crack use and the Canadian Senate scandal. Both of those stories will continue into 2014 no doubt.
In sports I'm happy to see my Montreal Canadiens playing and competing much better this season. It has been a pleasant surprise. I wish I could have said the same for the Toronto Blue Jays who reached a level of disappointment usually only attained by the Leafs and Raptors. But as they say, there's always next year. My own golf game was equally depressing in 2013. I was tempted to call the cops to help me locate my missing golf swing but instead I just continued to struggle and work on my foul language vocabulary.
The world lost some pretty great and interesting people this year. Among those that left us were Nelson Mandela, Musician Lou Reed, Actor James Gandolfini, Canadian actor Cory Monteith, Annette Funicello, Roger Ebert, Margaret Thatcher, Jonathan Winters, David Frost and Tom Clancy just to name a few.
My own family had some issues this year with both my parents having visits to the hospital but fortunately they appear to have recovered nicely.
The rest of my family is doing well so I'm pretty blessed in that department.
By far the most enjoyable event of 2013 for me was my continued efforts to improve my health. In a little over a year I've lost 155 pounds through exercise and changes to my eating habits. Basically I'm getting off my ass a lot more and shoving food down my throat a lot less which seems to be working to this point.
I'm hitting the gym up to five times a week since joining a little over a month ago and I'm noticing a change to my appearance as my muscles which were ignored for so long start to bounce back into shape.
The best part for me is regaining my life and eliminating the aches and pains I struggled with on a daily basis. It's amazing the things that thin and healthy people take for granted that obese people struggle with every day. I'm happy to say a lot of those issues have been eliminated for me finally. Every day is a challenge but after years of failing, I now know that I have it in me to succeed.
I could go on and bore you to sleep (if I haven't already) but I wanted to make this quick. I'm going to be very busy over the next several weeks and likely won't be updating my blog again until later in January.
Most importantly I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has supported me over the last year and been so encouraging. From the people I talked to almost daily to old acquaintances I've passed in the street, every compliment and congratulation has meant a great deal and has been very much appreciated.
My hope is that all of you have a Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year. See you in 2014!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Thanks For Terrifying Me Bro!
As this amazing journey of mine continues and I keep working towards the healthiest me possible, I had a moment today to sit and reflect on how far I've come.
I guess I've been so focused on the fight to drop the pounds each day for the last year that I never took the time to appreciate fully what I've accomplished. Don't get me wrong, this isn't about me bragging or flaunting my healthy changes. It's about reflecting on what it has taken to reach my current status on this quest.
My frustration has been building over the last month as my weight loss has stalled. I continue to maintain my weight which is certainly a positive but with my original goal so close, the irritation of not progressing further has had me feeling a bit defeated.
Of course this is completely ridiculous thinking on my part. The fact I've lost 153 pounds so far really can't be considered anything but a success. Sure I would love to drop those last 15 pounds to reach my goal weight of 250 lbs but at this stage it might take a bit more effort and determination. In other words, I have to take my game to another level to overcome my opponent.
When I think back to a little over a year ago when I began this process, I started to ruminate on what lead me to finally start down the road to a healthier me. Not only that but why did I succeed this time after failing countless times in the past?
It all came down to one conversation I had with my brother Scott.
Visiting Scott and his family in Florida in March of 2012 I was pushing at least 420 pounds. The exact maximum weight I was carrying is up for debate. I hadn't weighed myself in almost two years and at that time I came in at 418 pounds. In all likely hood it's plausible I was weighing closer to 430 or more at this time.
I hadn't yet been officially diagnosed as diabetic but I had been taking my blood sugar readings and they had spiked in recent weeks. We all knew the truth, even me, although I was trying to deny it. Diabetes is quite common in my family so deep down I knew the odds were high I would eventually be hit with the disease as well.
Being in denial it took some eye opening, straight, no bullshit confrontation from my brother to wake me up. It just took me another six months of coming to grips with it before I finally wised up and made the effort to change.
Scott pulled no punches. It was almost like an intervention. My parents were there as well as my sister-in-law Erin. I should mention that Erin is a nurse and my brother in a Nurse Practitioner among other things. He has worked in busy hospital Emergency Rooms and currently oversees the training of Nurses, EMT's and Firefighters. To be honest, he has so many fancy letter combinations after his name I don't know what all he is. PhD is one of them. Long story short, they know what they're talking about when it comes to the medical field.
So there I am sitting there when the onslaught of concern, truth and love began. A lot of things were said but the one thing that stuck with me the most was being told I would most likely be dead within a matter of years and not decades. Being told that your feet, legs and more could be amputated as a result of the combination of obesity and diabetes has a way of grabbing one's attention.
I'm sure at the time I probably brushed it off but I knew there was genuine concern there and with good reason. Scott's intent was to scare me and he had succeeded even if he didn't know it at the time. I'm not sure he realized how much his talk hit me. It did sink in and stuck with me. It's still with me to this day and that fear of death really is quite the motivating tool. The fact that it's the truth just makes it even more powerful.
There are no certainties in life. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow but to sit by and eat myself to death and let my health deteriorate to a point that I can no longer look after myself is something I wasn't prepared to let happen.
So today, thanks to having the crap scared out of me, I'm 153 pounds lighter and the healthiest I've been in decades. I've been going to the gym five times a week for the last month. I'm now using the treadmill and even jogging intervals. I'm lifting weights and strengthening my body. I'm not trying to look like Mr. Olympia, I just want to feel more fit overall.
Being open with my emotions isn't something I'm comfortable with. Don't get me wrong, I'm a very emotional person and have been known to shed tears at weddings or watching movies but when it comes to expressing my feelings to others, I could be better at it. I'm sure my family knows I love them even though I don't say it. I would lay down my life for any of them if I had to but speaking the words in person is something I just don't do. I'll have to work on that.
But I needed to say thanks to my brother for caring enough to give it to me straight. Sure I did all the work to reach this point but without his push, my future would have been grim at best. Perhaps the next time I visit him we can talk about the progress I've made and I can thank him in person. Most likely I'll just buy him lunch instead and we can talk about something more interesting.
I guess I've been so focused on the fight to drop the pounds each day for the last year that I never took the time to appreciate fully what I've accomplished. Don't get me wrong, this isn't about me bragging or flaunting my healthy changes. It's about reflecting on what it has taken to reach my current status on this quest.
My frustration has been building over the last month as my weight loss has stalled. I continue to maintain my weight which is certainly a positive but with my original goal so close, the irritation of not progressing further has had me feeling a bit defeated.
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| Change Can Be A Good Thing |
When I think back to a little over a year ago when I began this process, I started to ruminate on what lead me to finally start down the road to a healthier me. Not only that but why did I succeed this time after failing countless times in the past?
It all came down to one conversation I had with my brother Scott.
Visiting Scott and his family in Florida in March of 2012 I was pushing at least 420 pounds. The exact maximum weight I was carrying is up for debate. I hadn't weighed myself in almost two years and at that time I came in at 418 pounds. In all likely hood it's plausible I was weighing closer to 430 or more at this time.
I hadn't yet been officially diagnosed as diabetic but I had been taking my blood sugar readings and they had spiked in recent weeks. We all knew the truth, even me, although I was trying to deny it. Diabetes is quite common in my family so deep down I knew the odds were high I would eventually be hit with the disease as well.
Being in denial it took some eye opening, straight, no bullshit confrontation from my brother to wake me up. It just took me another six months of coming to grips with it before I finally wised up and made the effort to change.
Scott pulled no punches. It was almost like an intervention. My parents were there as well as my sister-in-law Erin. I should mention that Erin is a nurse and my brother in a Nurse Practitioner among other things. He has worked in busy hospital Emergency Rooms and currently oversees the training of Nurses, EMT's and Firefighters. To be honest, he has so many fancy letter combinations after his name I don't know what all he is. PhD is one of them. Long story short, they know what they're talking about when it comes to the medical field.
So there I am sitting there when the onslaught of concern, truth and love began. A lot of things were said but the one thing that stuck with me the most was being told I would most likely be dead within a matter of years and not decades. Being told that your feet, legs and more could be amputated as a result of the combination of obesity and diabetes has a way of grabbing one's attention.
I'm sure at the time I probably brushed it off but I knew there was genuine concern there and with good reason. Scott's intent was to scare me and he had succeeded even if he didn't know it at the time. I'm not sure he realized how much his talk hit me. It did sink in and stuck with me. It's still with me to this day and that fear of death really is quite the motivating tool. The fact that it's the truth just makes it even more powerful.
There are no certainties in life. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow but to sit by and eat myself to death and let my health deteriorate to a point that I can no longer look after myself is something I wasn't prepared to let happen.
So today, thanks to having the crap scared out of me, I'm 153 pounds lighter and the healthiest I've been in decades. I've been going to the gym five times a week for the last month. I'm now using the treadmill and even jogging intervals. I'm lifting weights and strengthening my body. I'm not trying to look like Mr. Olympia, I just want to feel more fit overall.
Being open with my emotions isn't something I'm comfortable with. Don't get me wrong, I'm a very emotional person and have been known to shed tears at weddings or watching movies but when it comes to expressing my feelings to others, I could be better at it. I'm sure my family knows I love them even though I don't say it. I would lay down my life for any of them if I had to but speaking the words in person is something I just don't do. I'll have to work on that.
But I needed to say thanks to my brother for caring enough to give it to me straight. Sure I did all the work to reach this point but without his push, my future would have been grim at best. Perhaps the next time I visit him we can talk about the progress I've made and I can thank him in person. Most likely I'll just buy him lunch instead and we can talk about something more interesting.
Wednesday, November 06, 2013
Lifting To A Healthier Me
Its been almost two weeks since I joined the local YMCA so I could work out and keep active during the cold winter months and I have to say, so far it's going pretty good.
Not knowing what it would be like I was rather oblivious to the rules, both written and unwritten surrounding life in a gym. Don't get me wrong, it's not a big deal and very reasonable and responsible. The simple things like wiping down machines after you've used them makes total sense. And I like that fact that this place is very clean and well looked after.
I honestly don't see what the big deal is with mobile phones though. They don't like you taking photos or using your phones in the gym. Granted, I realize there are creeps out there but some people rely on their phones for work or to stay in touch with family. I can understand them not wanting photos taken in the pool area, but if I'm working out and want to take a photo of myself using a machine, where's the harm in that? But I know it's easier just to make a blanket rule to ban all mobile phone use so there's no confusion. Truth be told, I see people using their phones all the time. It doesn't bother me in the least, provided you're not snapping shots of me in the shower.
As far as the actual workouts and exercise goes, I'm pleased with my efforts so far. I've been to the gym every day except one since I joined. I usually do intervals on the treadmill for 30 minutes to start each visit. I'll walk at 6 km/h and jog at 9 km/h, alternating between each one every few minutes. I'll also increase the incline so I'm always going uphill. I try to walk 3.5 kilometres and burn around 360 calories in the 30 minutes. I usually work up quite a sweat.
I'll then move into the strength training portion of my visit. I usually alternate between arms one day and legs the next. I'll also throw in some abdominal, back and shoulder work as well. The first couple of days I felt some pain using muscles I hadn't used in some time but to be honest, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
While I don't have any official routine, I have some favourite machines I use to work the muscles I want to target. Some day in the future I may target more specific areas but I just try to get in a good general workout.
Most days so far I just keep to myself but I have chatted with a couple of friendly and fit ladies and I've also run into a few guys I haven't seen in quite some time. It would be nice to have a regular workout buddy to help push each other but I'm doing pretty well on my own so far.
I'd like to keep going at least 5 days a week and take the weekends to rest if all goes well but of course other things come up that could throw a wrench in those plans. Like my eating, I'm trying to make going to the gym part of my daily routine and plan my days around it. So far it's going well.
Not knowing what it would be like I was rather oblivious to the rules, both written and unwritten surrounding life in a gym. Don't get me wrong, it's not a big deal and very reasonable and responsible. The simple things like wiping down machines after you've used them makes total sense. And I like that fact that this place is very clean and well looked after.
I honestly don't see what the big deal is with mobile phones though. They don't like you taking photos or using your phones in the gym. Granted, I realize there are creeps out there but some people rely on their phones for work or to stay in touch with family. I can understand them not wanting photos taken in the pool area, but if I'm working out and want to take a photo of myself using a machine, where's the harm in that? But I know it's easier just to make a blanket rule to ban all mobile phone use so there's no confusion. Truth be told, I see people using their phones all the time. It doesn't bother me in the least, provided you're not snapping shots of me in the shower.
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| A look at my progress so far. |
I'll then move into the strength training portion of my visit. I usually alternate between arms one day and legs the next. I'll also throw in some abdominal, back and shoulder work as well. The first couple of days I felt some pain using muscles I hadn't used in some time but to be honest, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
While I don't have any official routine, I have some favourite machines I use to work the muscles I want to target. Some day in the future I may target more specific areas but I just try to get in a good general workout.
Most days so far I just keep to myself but I have chatted with a couple of friendly and fit ladies and I've also run into a few guys I haven't seen in quite some time. It would be nice to have a regular workout buddy to help push each other but I'm doing pretty well on my own so far.
I'd like to keep going at least 5 days a week and take the weekends to rest if all goes well but of course other things come up that could throw a wrench in those plans. Like my eating, I'm trying to make going to the gym part of my daily routine and plan my days around it. So far it's going well.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Now The Pain Begins
I have mixed feelings today.
I finally bit the bullet, opened my wallet and joined the local YMCA. It's an expense I'd rather not have but it's also something that I don't think I can go without.
Having lost over 150 pounds so far I'm thrilled with my results but simply cutting back on my food intake and walking many kilometres will only do so much. I needed to take that next step towards shaping the new me.
With that knowledge I joined the gym today. I'm not a fan of winter and the cold so this will allow me an opportunity to workout and walk inside. The treadmill is foreign to me but in time I'm sure I'll get a grasp of how to use it.
I've never been a "gym guy" so to speak. This goes back to my late teens when I used to visit another local fitness club semi-regularly and always found it to be kinda snobby. I always felt like people were looking at me and wondering why I was infringing on their gym experience and social group. The truth of the matter is I rarely talked to anyone when I was there other than people I knew or worked out with. So maybe those snobby people thought I was a snob as well. But I certainly didn't come from money like they did. We didn't travel in the same social or economic circles
But having visited the YMCA a couple of times to check it out before joining I don't think that will be much of a concern. The people I've seen for the most part are just average everyday folks like myself and I think I'll fit right in.
My other concern was something that has always been an issue for me and that's acceptance. By this I mean having people looking at my large body and talking about me or pointing at me. Eventually this stopped bothering me because I stopped caring what others thought. Again, I don't think this will be a problem here. For one thing, I'm not quite as big as I used to be and I think people today in general are more accepting of overweight individuals making an effort to get healthy. The snobs are in the minority now. Kind of like Caucasians in Canada.
Even though its been over 20 years since I last used free weights or did any kind of real weight lifting and exercise of that type, I still remember the pain associated with using muscles I haven't strained in some time. That pain is not something I'm looking forward to but I know that eventually it will pass as I work through it. The thought of not being able to get out of bed without Advil doesn't excite me but what lies beyond that pain threshold does. The results of toning and tightening my ever shrinking and sagging body is something I look forward to.
So what do I hope to achieve?
One thing I don't care about is having big muscles although losing some of the flab and seeing some of the results would be nice. What I really want is to gain strength and hopefully continue to lose body fat both inside around my organs and on the visible surface.
During my walk through the gym today I spotted a couple of fit guys running on the treadmills. I'm a long way from being able to do that but perhaps one day I'll be able to increase the speed of my walk to a jog.
The facility also has a couple of pools which were busy today with it being a Sunday. I'm not sporting much of a beach body but I might be willing to try my hand at a few lengths of the pool if there aren't too many people around to begin with. A few of the girls in bikini's there today seemed comfortable so I suppose eventually I'll get more comfortable at some point.
Now it's just a matter of making the time to get to the gym for an hour or two each day or as often as possible and to begin the next step of my weight loss journey. My hope is that it will eventually become a routine and a regular part of my day that I plan my schedule around. It would be nice to have a workout buddy to help motivate me and keep me honest but I don't know anyone yet. But who knows, maybe I'll meet someone and we'll help push each other to reach our goals. Either way, I'm going to get the job done.
I finally bit the bullet, opened my wallet and joined the local YMCA. It's an expense I'd rather not have but it's also something that I don't think I can go without.
Having lost over 150 pounds so far I'm thrilled with my results but simply cutting back on my food intake and walking many kilometres will only do so much. I needed to take that next step towards shaping the new me.
With that knowledge I joined the gym today. I'm not a fan of winter and the cold so this will allow me an opportunity to workout and walk inside. The treadmill is foreign to me but in time I'm sure I'll get a grasp of how to use it.
I've never been a "gym guy" so to speak. This goes back to my late teens when I used to visit another local fitness club semi-regularly and always found it to be kinda snobby. I always felt like people were looking at me and wondering why I was infringing on their gym experience and social group. The truth of the matter is I rarely talked to anyone when I was there other than people I knew or worked out with. So maybe those snobby people thought I was a snob as well. But I certainly didn't come from money like they did. We didn't travel in the same social or economic circles
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| New Under Armour Workout Gear |
My other concern was something that has always been an issue for me and that's acceptance. By this I mean having people looking at my large body and talking about me or pointing at me. Eventually this stopped bothering me because I stopped caring what others thought. Again, I don't think this will be a problem here. For one thing, I'm not quite as big as I used to be and I think people today in general are more accepting of overweight individuals making an effort to get healthy. The snobs are in the minority now. Kind of like Caucasians in Canada.
Even though its been over 20 years since I last used free weights or did any kind of real weight lifting and exercise of that type, I still remember the pain associated with using muscles I haven't strained in some time. That pain is not something I'm looking forward to but I know that eventually it will pass as I work through it. The thought of not being able to get out of bed without Advil doesn't excite me but what lies beyond that pain threshold does. The results of toning and tightening my ever shrinking and sagging body is something I look forward to.
So what do I hope to achieve?
One thing I don't care about is having big muscles although losing some of the flab and seeing some of the results would be nice. What I really want is to gain strength and hopefully continue to lose body fat both inside around my organs and on the visible surface.
During my walk through the gym today I spotted a couple of fit guys running on the treadmills. I'm a long way from being able to do that but perhaps one day I'll be able to increase the speed of my walk to a jog.
The facility also has a couple of pools which were busy today with it being a Sunday. I'm not sporting much of a beach body but I might be willing to try my hand at a few lengths of the pool if there aren't too many people around to begin with. A few of the girls in bikini's there today seemed comfortable so I suppose eventually I'll get more comfortable at some point.
Now it's just a matter of making the time to get to the gym for an hour or two each day or as often as possible and to begin the next step of my weight loss journey. My hope is that it will eventually become a routine and a regular part of my day that I plan my schedule around. It would be nice to have a workout buddy to help motivate me and keep me honest but I don't know anyone yet. But who knows, maybe I'll meet someone and we'll help push each other to reach our goals. Either way, I'm going to get the job done.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Closing In On My Goal
Time for another quick weight loss update.
After over 25 years of trying and failing to lose weight, this time things are going well.
I was asked by someone, what's the difference this time as opposed to my previous attempts? I don't have a clear cut answer but if I had to try and narrow it down it would probably just be my ability to stick to my plan. It's a simple plan and has worked for me.
My daily calorie intake that I allow myself is 2000. That's not a lot compared to what I used to eat. The old me could easily eat 5000 or more calories a day. Heck, I could still do it today if I allowed myself to but that's where the willpower comes in. As I said, there are still days that I'll eat slightly more than 2000 calories but as long as I'm close and don't do it every day I can live with it.
I also try to cut out or at the very least cut down on the late night eating. When you work nights and sleep days, that isn't always possible. I'll have supper before I go to work and then I'll have a sandwich and snack at 1am. Not the greatest but it's still better than having fast food for lunch. Plus, you have to eat or your body will try to store fat because it thinks you need it. That's why it's better to eat several small meals and drink lots of water rather than one big meal a day.
The exercise I get is usually just in the form of walking. A typical walk could be anything from 3 to 12 kilometres depending on where I am and how energetic I feel. Plus in the summer I'm back to walking the golf course instead of taking golf carts. I'm proud of the fact that this summer I golfed over 40 times and not once did I rent a golf cart.
I've been talking about joining the local YMCA or a gym but as of yet haven't made that move. I want to but the membership fees have kept me from taking the plunge but I'm leaning towards biting the bullet and taking the financial hit soon. It's not a huge amount but $50 a month is still something I'm not thrilled about spending. But I suppose if I think about how much money I used to spend on fast food each month, it's probably a lot less. Plus, I'm still a big guy and have that big guy mentality that only fit people go to the gym and look down on bigger people. Perhaps times have changed.
As far as eliminating all regular pop from my diet, that was huge. I've talked about it before that I would drink a lot of pop every day and now that I think about how much sugar I was consuming, that change alone has gone a long way towards helping me to try and reach my goal.
And speaking of my goal, I'm getting closer to it. The whole point of this update was to just keep everyone that has been following and supporting my journey towards a healthier me up to date on my progress. So here are the numbers folks:
Starting Weight: 418.8 pounds
Current Weight: 266.4 pounds
Weight Lost To Date: 152.4 pounds
Original Goal: 250 pounds
So I'm only 16.4 pounds away from reaching the original goal I set when I began this quest. I am also now just 4.4 pounds away from reaching my high school football / rugby weight when I played my last year of Senior ball. And for the record, I have no plans to get back into a scrum anytime soon. I don't miss the ear biting and nipple pinching.
After over 25 years of trying and failing to lose weight, this time things are going well.
I was asked by someone, what's the difference this time as opposed to my previous attempts? I don't have a clear cut answer but if I had to try and narrow it down it would probably just be my ability to stick to my plan. It's a simple plan and has worked for me.
- Limit my daily calorie intake.
- Remove all regular pop from my diet.
- Exercise at least 5 days a week.
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| Latest progress comparison photo - profile view. |
I also try to cut out or at the very least cut down on the late night eating. When you work nights and sleep days, that isn't always possible. I'll have supper before I go to work and then I'll have a sandwich and snack at 1am. Not the greatest but it's still better than having fast food for lunch. Plus, you have to eat or your body will try to store fat because it thinks you need it. That's why it's better to eat several small meals and drink lots of water rather than one big meal a day.
The exercise I get is usually just in the form of walking. A typical walk could be anything from 3 to 12 kilometres depending on where I am and how energetic I feel. Plus in the summer I'm back to walking the golf course instead of taking golf carts. I'm proud of the fact that this summer I golfed over 40 times and not once did I rent a golf cart.
I've been talking about joining the local YMCA or a gym but as of yet haven't made that move. I want to but the membership fees have kept me from taking the plunge but I'm leaning towards biting the bullet and taking the financial hit soon. It's not a huge amount but $50 a month is still something I'm not thrilled about spending. But I suppose if I think about how much money I used to spend on fast food each month, it's probably a lot less. Plus, I'm still a big guy and have that big guy mentality that only fit people go to the gym and look down on bigger people. Perhaps times have changed.
As far as eliminating all regular pop from my diet, that was huge. I've talked about it before that I would drink a lot of pop every day and now that I think about how much sugar I was consuming, that change alone has gone a long way towards helping me to try and reach my goal.
And speaking of my goal, I'm getting closer to it. The whole point of this update was to just keep everyone that has been following and supporting my journey towards a healthier me up to date on my progress. So here are the numbers folks:
Starting Weight: 418.8 pounds
Current Weight: 266.4 pounds
Weight Lost To Date: 152.4 pounds
Original Goal: 250 pounds
So I'm only 16.4 pounds away from reaching the original goal I set when I began this quest. I am also now just 4.4 pounds away from reaching my high school football / rugby weight when I played my last year of Senior ball. And for the record, I have no plans to get back into a scrum anytime soon. I don't miss the ear biting and nipple pinching.
Wednesday, October 09, 2013
Pound by Pound & Inch by Inch
It's been almost a month since my last quick update on my progress in the battle to shrink myself to a respectable size. So I figured I'd take a few moments today to bring you up to speed on where things stand as of today.
The last month I've actually done a pretty good job of staying active and walking almost every day which hasn't necessarily resulted in pleasant results during my visits to the scale but I have been noticing some changes in my body.
For example my thighs have started to shrink. I hadn't measured them in quite some time but the last time I lashed the tape measure around them the other day they had decreased by four inches each. I used to be 32 inches around the thighs and I'm currently at 28 inches and can actually start to see some separation between them which I'm thrilled about. Less chaffing is a good thing. I've always been big in the legs, both my thighs and calves, even as a child so I'm not expecting miracles to happen there but any reduction will be a positive result.
I haven't measured around my waist lately but I can tell you those size 46 jeans I purchased several weeks back are already feeling loose on me and my belt has already had one new hole punched in it and will likely need another one very soon or my pants will be around my ankles as I'm reaching for something on a high shelf at Walmart.
When it comes to my eating, which is what got me in the mess I was in to begin with, every day continues to be a struggle but I win the battle most days. I still limit myself to 2000 calories per day which I think is pretty reasonable. I'm still eating what I like but one thing I have tried to change in my daily routine is not counting my calories burned towards my calorie intake. For example, if I walked 8 kilometres and burned 1000 calories, I would look at that and say I have an extra 1000 calories I can eat that day. So in fact, I would be eating a total of 3000 calories a day instead of my allotted 2000. Now I'm only eating up to or around the 2000 calories a day no matter what I burn exercising. I think this will help aid my weight loss more and hopefully diminish the frequency of plateaus. We'll see how that works.
So where do I stand with my overall weight loss?
My starting weight was 418.8 pounds and as of today's trip to the scale, my current weight stands at 269.5 pounds. That's a total of 149.3 pounds lost so far.
My goal weight when I started was and still is 250 pounds so I'm currently 19.5 pounds away from reaching it. Surprisingly I am also just 7.5 pounds away from getting back to the weight I was when I played high school football many many years ago. I'm thrilled by this progress and the idea of actually attaining my goal but when I began my journey I jokingly stated that I would run naked in the street if I ever reached that goal. My neighbours should be on alert that as I get closer they might want to keep their blinds closed and children inside.
The last month I've actually done a pretty good job of staying active and walking almost every day which hasn't necessarily resulted in pleasant results during my visits to the scale but I have been noticing some changes in my body.
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| I'm still big but my body shape is changing. |
I haven't measured around my waist lately but I can tell you those size 46 jeans I purchased several weeks back are already feeling loose on me and my belt has already had one new hole punched in it and will likely need another one very soon or my pants will be around my ankles as I'm reaching for something on a high shelf at Walmart.
When it comes to my eating, which is what got me in the mess I was in to begin with, every day continues to be a struggle but I win the battle most days. I still limit myself to 2000 calories per day which I think is pretty reasonable. I'm still eating what I like but one thing I have tried to change in my daily routine is not counting my calories burned towards my calorie intake. For example, if I walked 8 kilometres and burned 1000 calories, I would look at that and say I have an extra 1000 calories I can eat that day. So in fact, I would be eating a total of 3000 calories a day instead of my allotted 2000. Now I'm only eating up to or around the 2000 calories a day no matter what I burn exercising. I think this will help aid my weight loss more and hopefully diminish the frequency of plateaus. We'll see how that works.
So where do I stand with my overall weight loss?
My starting weight was 418.8 pounds and as of today's trip to the scale, my current weight stands at 269.5 pounds. That's a total of 149.3 pounds lost so far.
My goal weight when I started was and still is 250 pounds so I'm currently 19.5 pounds away from reaching it. Surprisingly I am also just 7.5 pounds away from getting back to the weight I was when I played high school football many many years ago. I'm thrilled by this progress and the idea of actually attaining my goal but when I began my journey I jokingly stated that I would run naked in the street if I ever reached that goal. My neighbours should be on alert that as I get closer they might want to keep their blinds closed and children inside.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Fascinating Find
It's amazing what you'll see sometimes if you just keep your eyes open and pay attention to your surroundings.
As part of my efforts to lose weight I've made walking a major part of the process. I try to get out and walk every day at some point. Some days it's a long and intense walk and other times it's just a leisurely stroll.
A week or so ago I had been walking with some serious purpose quite a bit and decided to take a break. I still wanted to get a bit of an outing in so I grabbed my camera and struck out for a 3km hike through the forest at Presqu'ile Park.
Even on my so-called lazy walks I still find myself at times moving at a faster pace then planned. I guess I've just been doing it long enough now that I'm used to a certain speed and need to force myself to hit the brakes from time to time.
Luckily I hit them at just the right time. As I was making my way along the trail I spotted what I thought was a twig on the ground and passed over it as I do every other time. However, something struck me as odd about this particular piece of ground wood.
I turned around and went back to it and upon closer inspection realized it wasn't a piece of wood at all but a brown coloured Praying Mantis.
First off, I hadn't seen one of these creatures in years. I remember them as a kid but just never spotted one in my adult life. Secondly, every praying mantis I've ever seen was green in colour and this particular fellow was brown.
Is it a different species or race? Is it a young one that hasn't changed colour yet or an older one that has lost his green complexion? I don't have the answers but there was no doubting what I had found.
You would have laughed at me had you come along the trail at that moment because I now found myself flat on my stomach pointing my camera in the direction of this ugly thing. I was so intent on getting a picture of it I didn't even bother to check for poison ivy or consider the possibility of having ticks get on my skin which can of course lead to some bad stuff. Luckily, I think I avoided both and still managed to come away with a pretty cool photo.
As part of my efforts to lose weight I've made walking a major part of the process. I try to get out and walk every day at some point. Some days it's a long and intense walk and other times it's just a leisurely stroll.
A week or so ago I had been walking with some serious purpose quite a bit and decided to take a break. I still wanted to get a bit of an outing in so I grabbed my camera and struck out for a 3km hike through the forest at Presqu'ile Park.
Even on my so-called lazy walks I still find myself at times moving at a faster pace then planned. I guess I've just been doing it long enough now that I'm used to a certain speed and need to force myself to hit the brakes from time to time.
Luckily I hit them at just the right time. As I was making my way along the trail I spotted what I thought was a twig on the ground and passed over it as I do every other time. However, something struck me as odd about this particular piece of ground wood.
I turned around and went back to it and upon closer inspection realized it wasn't a piece of wood at all but a brown coloured Praying Mantis.
First off, I hadn't seen one of these creatures in years. I remember them as a kid but just never spotted one in my adult life. Secondly, every praying mantis I've ever seen was green in colour and this particular fellow was brown.
Is it a different species or race? Is it a young one that hasn't changed colour yet or an older one that has lost his green complexion? I don't have the answers but there was no doubting what I had found.
You would have laughed at me had you come along the trail at that moment because I now found myself flat on my stomach pointing my camera in the direction of this ugly thing. I was so intent on getting a picture of it I didn't even bother to check for poison ivy or consider the possibility of having ticks get on my skin which can of course lead to some bad stuff. Luckily, I think I avoided both and still managed to come away with a pretty cool photo.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
The Weight Loss Wall
As I work to make changes to my lifestyle and eating habits in the attempt to further my downward trend in heftiness, I continue to have a love / hate relationship with my bathroom scale. It's a lovely and quite attractive Weight Watchers digital scale that I purchased at the local Walmart but lately we haven't been getting along.
Don't get me wrong, I haven't put any weight back on. I'm just frustrated because my weight has been remaining as steady as the hands of a brain surgeon. Plateau's happen and I was prepared and fully expected it at some point but for nearly two weeks I've been stuck at 282 pounds.
I'm thrilled by the 136 pounds I've lost so far but for the life of me I can't understand why I'm not budging off this present number. I feel as though I've been exercising plenty and the majority of time I'm at or below my target for daily calorie intake. So I'm perplexed as to what is causing this weight loss wall I'm banging my head and ample bottom against.
I try not to get fixated on the numbers too much and tell myself it will pass. Just keep doing what you're doing and eventually my body will get the message and the weight will start to drop again. That's my hope at least.
Meanwhile I have been noticing some changes to my body shape and size. Is my body just shifting the weight around from one place to another I have to wonder? I'm no expert on the subject but while it's a tad disappointing to be stuck against this wall, it's encouraging to see that the efforts I've been making have made changes to my overall appearance.
I've posted photos of my face before which clearly indicated I was making progress. I've posted photos of me wearing new and smaller sized clothing. I've also tried wearing old clothing that is now several sizes too big for me. These are all indications that the hard work is paying off despite the fact my weight loss has stalled.
Posting photos of me in clothing only shows part of the picture. Today I've posted another photo of my ugly belly. It's taken from the side and is a comparison photo showing my progress over the last six months.
I've posted similar photos before and some people ask me if I'm embarrassed by sharing images like these. To be honest, I don't see why I should be and after years of living in this body and dealing with bullies and people who looked down on me, I eventually realized that I don't care what they think.
If I don't respect you I don't value your opinion. I accepted who I am and that's all that matters. The rest of them can just bugger off. This is who I was and who I am at this moment. Covering up with bulky clothing in an attempt to hide what's underneath doesn't change anything. I know I'm not some GQ model with ripped abs and chiselled features but I'm still ecstatic with the transformation that has occurred so far.
I think it's pretty clear in this photo that the progress in the last six months alone has been significant. My belly is less rounded and the lower stomach is shrunken in more. The fat on my elbow appears to be less and the always popular man boobs have been reduced some.
By no means am I announcing "Mission Accomplished!" In fact, it's the complete opposite. I truly believe, and this darn wall is a good indicator, that the toughest road lies ahead on this journey. I must dig deeper and work harder to reach my goals. The changes I've made to my eating habits and lifestyle have worked wonders but more changes will need to be made and I'm hoping I've started those already.
Anyone that has ever been on a journey like this knows the closer you get to reaching your goals or dreams, the more you'll be challenged and how I react and face those challenges will determine whether I succeed or fail in this life changing and saving endeavour. I will not fail!
Don't get me wrong, I haven't put any weight back on. I'm just frustrated because my weight has been remaining as steady as the hands of a brain surgeon. Plateau's happen and I was prepared and fully expected it at some point but for nearly two weeks I've been stuck at 282 pounds.
I'm thrilled by the 136 pounds I've lost so far but for the life of me I can't understand why I'm not budging off this present number. I feel as though I've been exercising plenty and the majority of time I'm at or below my target for daily calorie intake. So I'm perplexed as to what is causing this weight loss wall I'm banging my head and ample bottom against.
I try not to get fixated on the numbers too much and tell myself it will pass. Just keep doing what you're doing and eventually my body will get the message and the weight will start to drop again. That's my hope at least.
Meanwhile I have been noticing some changes to my body shape and size. Is my body just shifting the weight around from one place to another I have to wonder? I'm no expert on the subject but while it's a tad disappointing to be stuck against this wall, it's encouraging to see that the efforts I've been making have made changes to my overall appearance.
I've posted photos of my face before which clearly indicated I was making progress. I've posted photos of me wearing new and smaller sized clothing. I've also tried wearing old clothing that is now several sizes too big for me. These are all indications that the hard work is paying off despite the fact my weight loss has stalled.
Posting photos of me in clothing only shows part of the picture. Today I've posted another photo of my ugly belly. It's taken from the side and is a comparison photo showing my progress over the last six months.
I've posted similar photos before and some people ask me if I'm embarrassed by sharing images like these. To be honest, I don't see why I should be and after years of living in this body and dealing with bullies and people who looked down on me, I eventually realized that I don't care what they think.
If I don't respect you I don't value your opinion. I accepted who I am and that's all that matters. The rest of them can just bugger off. This is who I was and who I am at this moment. Covering up with bulky clothing in an attempt to hide what's underneath doesn't change anything. I know I'm not some GQ model with ripped abs and chiselled features but I'm still ecstatic with the transformation that has occurred so far.
 |
| Click on the image to see it larger |
By no means am I announcing "Mission Accomplished!" In fact, it's the complete opposite. I truly believe, and this darn wall is a good indicator, that the toughest road lies ahead on this journey. I must dig deeper and work harder to reach my goals. The changes I've made to my eating habits and lifestyle have worked wonders but more changes will need to be made and I'm hoping I've started those already.
Anyone that has ever been on a journey like this knows the closer you get to reaching your goals or dreams, the more you'll be challenged and how I react and face those challenges will determine whether I succeed or fail in this life changing and saving endeavour. I will not fail!
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
It's A Double XL Miracle
Just a quick posting today. I had one of those moments during my weight loss journey that I had to celebrate. As I work my way towards a healthier and longer life by dropping my weight, every now and then I have these moments of big success and little successes.
What would I class as a big success? For me this would include reaching major weight loss goals that I've set for myself. So far I've had a few of those when I reached 400 lbs, 350 lbs, 300 lbs and at the point where I'd lost 100 lbs total. My next big success moment will happen when my weight drops to 250 lbs. I'm confident I'll get there eventually but I'm not in any huge rush.
A little success could be almost anything else. A few that come to mind include adding new holes to my belt as my stomach shrinks, dropping from a 6X shirt to a 3X shirt or as it recently happened, fitting into size 46 jeans and vowing never to need my size 60 jeans ever again.
This past weekend I had another little success. I bought clothes from some place other than the Big & Tall store. Okay, I admit there are times when I've found some clothes at Walmart but they were still size 3X which is nice but not what I would call a normal every day size for clothes.
As I've mentioned before, I hope to get to a fitness club this Autumn and Winter to start toning and lifting weights. It's the logical next step while continuing to try and shed the pounds. So on Sunday after a round of golf I decided it was time to try and find some workout clothes.
I knew what I wanted but didn't have a lot of confidence that they would have the sizes I needed at the local athletic store. I had my mind made up that I really wanted to get some Under Armour clothes. It would be nice to wear something trendy and not created by companies that cater to fat people.
After finding the racks containing the gear I wanted I became worried when the largest sizes they had were 2X. I had my doubts that they would fit. But I figured I was there so I should try them on. At the very least it would give me an idea of how close I was to being able to wear them.
The items I picked out were a 2X loose fit UA Tech short Sleeve T-shirt and a 2X pair of HeatGear Dynasty Vented 6" compression shorts. These are designed to take the place of the old athletic supporter and keep everything in place during exercise. It's more stylish as well. They also prevent chafing and rashes, keep sweat away from the body and are lightweight. They kind of look like cycling shorts except the only extra padding in the rear is courtesy of my own big butt.
You can imagine how surprised and thrilled I was when I tried them on in the dressing room and found both items fit me. The shorts are a bit snug around the waist but they're supposed to be and feel great. The shirt was the big shock for me. I was amazed at how well it hung on my frame. While I still have a hefty midsection it's clearly no longer protruding as much as it once did.
I got dressed and quickly made my way to the checkout and was thrilled to spend the $70 for these two items. They're cheaper than one pair of work pants I bought recently. I think the biggest surprise of the whole experience was coming to the realization that I had actually bought fitness clothing. What has happened to me?
What would I class as a big success? For me this would include reaching major weight loss goals that I've set for myself. So far I've had a few of those when I reached 400 lbs, 350 lbs, 300 lbs and at the point where I'd lost 100 lbs total. My next big success moment will happen when my weight drops to 250 lbs. I'm confident I'll get there eventually but I'm not in any huge rush.
A little success could be almost anything else. A few that come to mind include adding new holes to my belt as my stomach shrinks, dropping from a 6X shirt to a 3X shirt or as it recently happened, fitting into size 46 jeans and vowing never to need my size 60 jeans ever again.
This past weekend I had another little success. I bought clothes from some place other than the Big & Tall store. Okay, I admit there are times when I've found some clothes at Walmart but they were still size 3X which is nice but not what I would call a normal every day size for clothes.
As I've mentioned before, I hope to get to a fitness club this Autumn and Winter to start toning and lifting weights. It's the logical next step while continuing to try and shed the pounds. So on Sunday after a round of golf I decided it was time to try and find some workout clothes.
I knew what I wanted but didn't have a lot of confidence that they would have the sizes I needed at the local athletic store. I had my mind made up that I really wanted to get some Under Armour clothes. It would be nice to wear something trendy and not created by companies that cater to fat people.
After finding the racks containing the gear I wanted I became worried when the largest sizes they had were 2X. I had my doubts that they would fit. But I figured I was there so I should try them on. At the very least it would give me an idea of how close I was to being able to wear them.
The items I picked out were a 2X loose fit UA Tech short Sleeve T-shirt and a 2X pair of HeatGear Dynasty Vented 6" compression shorts. These are designed to take the place of the old athletic supporter and keep everything in place during exercise. It's more stylish as well. They also prevent chafing and rashes, keep sweat away from the body and are lightweight. They kind of look like cycling shorts except the only extra padding in the rear is courtesy of my own big butt.
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| Modelling my new fitness clothing that actually fits. |
I got dressed and quickly made my way to the checkout and was thrilled to spend the $70 for these two items. They're cheaper than one pair of work pants I bought recently. I think the biggest surprise of the whole experience was coming to the realization that I had actually bought fitness clothing. What has happened to me?
Sunday, September 01, 2013
Bye Bye Belly
So here I am approaching one year since I honestly started to make an effort to shed my massive amounts of fat and reduce the weight I had been carrying around for 20 plus years. Actually, in reality I've been carrying around too much weight most of my entire life. Even as child I was big but after college was when I really started to pack on the pounds.
Fast forward to September 2012 when I decided to give an honest effort to shed some of my excess weight. Topping out at 418 pounds I knew my health and life depended on it. Being as large as I was and having so much weight on my joints I had to ease into the diet. I actually hate calling it a diet as it's more of a lifestyle change but it's just easier to say "diet".
I began reducing my calorie intake per day which automatically reversed my upward trend in weight. I stopped drinking regular pop like Coke and Pepsi which I would easily drink 3-6 cans per day. That equalled a lot of sugar. I switched to diet pop which still isn't ideal but I have no doubt that one move alone was a major factor in getting to a lighter version of myself.
Eventually I got below 400 pounds and began to go for short walks and increase my activity. This continued all winter and my walks gradually got longer and more intense. As my weight continued the downward spiral I would reduce my daily calorie allowance. I would guess at my top weight I was eating well over 5000 calories per day. Today at this current moment I allow myself 2000 calories. If I exercise that will allow me more if I desire it. But to be honest, I have rarely had moments where I felt as though I was starving or ill for lack of food. Sure I have days where I might go over my goal and perhaps eat 100-300 more calories than I would have liked but it balances out because there are days when I might only have 1600 calories.
From time to time and probably more often than I should some cheat meals will take place. I might stop at Tim Horton's and pick up a couple of chocolate chip cookies or I might have lunch at A&W and eat a Papa Burger and fries. But usually when this occurs I will make a point of going for a long walk or go golfing to offset those calories by burning a bunch as well. When it comes to snacking I've really cut down on that vice. My typical night would consist of me sitting in front of the TV watching my beloved Montreal Canadiens playing hockey while devouring an entire large bag of potato chips. Night time snacking is rare for me now but from time to time I will enjoy some chips. The difference is I'll make a bag last 3 or 4 nights or go weeks without any chips at all. I have to allow myself to snack every now and then just to keep my sane.
Whatever I've been doing the last 12 months has worked and eventually I hope to make even more changes. The biggest change I'd like to make is to train myself to eat healthier foods. You know the foods I'm talking about...the food I never eat or hate eating. But if I can learn to like even a few of them and add them to my diet I hope that will propel me to even more success. I'd also like to get a membership at a local fitness club for the winter months. As much as I enjoy walking in the snow and cold, sometimes I just can't will myself out the door to walk on icy roads and sidewalks while braving temperatures of minus 15 or worse.
By joining a gym I also hope to get back to lifting weights and building muscle and toning my body. Believe me, there's plenty to tone. I haven't lifted weights since my days of playing football and rugby in high school. Sadly that's more than a few years ago now.
So as I approach one year of busting my butt to get healthier, I'm proud of the fact that I've lost 136 pounds so far and at the same time I know that losing the next 32 pounds to reach my initial ultimate goal will not be easy. In fact, it might be harder to lose those last 32 pounds than what I lost in the first 12 months but nothing worth having is ever easy and I hope and plan to keep charging ahead with this mission. I may stumble along the way but I won't be denied this if I can help it.
Someone asked me once, "what will you do when you reach your goal?" My usual smartass answer was, "I'm going to run naked downtown to celebrate!" That actually might be a good idea. I hear the food in jail is awful so not eating would help even more. I suppose if and when I reach my long term goal I'll celebrate briefly in some manner and then quickly create another goal to work towards.
Fast forward to September 2012 when I decided to give an honest effort to shed some of my excess weight. Topping out at 418 pounds I knew my health and life depended on it. Being as large as I was and having so much weight on my joints I had to ease into the diet. I actually hate calling it a diet as it's more of a lifestyle change but it's just easier to say "diet".
I began reducing my calorie intake per day which automatically reversed my upward trend in weight. I stopped drinking regular pop like Coke and Pepsi which I would easily drink 3-6 cans per day. That equalled a lot of sugar. I switched to diet pop which still isn't ideal but I have no doubt that one move alone was a major factor in getting to a lighter version of myself.
 |
| Same jacket fitting differently. Left: 2003 On a cruise. Right: 2013 Too big. |
From time to time and probably more often than I should some cheat meals will take place. I might stop at Tim Horton's and pick up a couple of chocolate chip cookies or I might have lunch at A&W and eat a Papa Burger and fries. But usually when this occurs I will make a point of going for a long walk or go golfing to offset those calories by burning a bunch as well. When it comes to snacking I've really cut down on that vice. My typical night would consist of me sitting in front of the TV watching my beloved Montreal Canadiens playing hockey while devouring an entire large bag of potato chips. Night time snacking is rare for me now but from time to time I will enjoy some chips. The difference is I'll make a bag last 3 or 4 nights or go weeks without any chips at all. I have to allow myself to snack every now and then just to keep my sane.
Whatever I've been doing the last 12 months has worked and eventually I hope to make even more changes. The biggest change I'd like to make is to train myself to eat healthier foods. You know the foods I'm talking about...the food I never eat or hate eating. But if I can learn to like even a few of them and add them to my diet I hope that will propel me to even more success. I'd also like to get a membership at a local fitness club for the winter months. As much as I enjoy walking in the snow and cold, sometimes I just can't will myself out the door to walk on icy roads and sidewalks while braving temperatures of minus 15 or worse.
By joining a gym I also hope to get back to lifting weights and building muscle and toning my body. Believe me, there's plenty to tone. I haven't lifted weights since my days of playing football and rugby in high school. Sadly that's more than a few years ago now.
So as I approach one year of busting my butt to get healthier, I'm proud of the fact that I've lost 136 pounds so far and at the same time I know that losing the next 32 pounds to reach my initial ultimate goal will not be easy. In fact, it might be harder to lose those last 32 pounds than what I lost in the first 12 months but nothing worth having is ever easy and I hope and plan to keep charging ahead with this mission. I may stumble along the way but I won't be denied this if I can help it.
Someone asked me once, "what will you do when you reach your goal?" My usual smartass answer was, "I'm going to run naked downtown to celebrate!" That actually might be a good idea. I hear the food in jail is awful so not eating would help even more. I suppose if and when I reach my long term goal I'll celebrate briefly in some manner and then quickly create another goal to work towards.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Shrinkage Is A Good Thing
I wanted to take a quick moment to give another update on my journey to a thinner and healthier me for those who continue to follow my progress. I promise this won't be a long drawn out affair because it's getting to be late at night and I'm ready to make love to my pillow.
First and update on my weightloss. I am happy to report that I have now lost a total of 135 pounds to date. The progress has slowed some which I expected to happen and I know reaching my long term goal will be a battle I hope to win over the long haul.
The big news for this update centres around my centre so to speak. The all important waistline. This is one of the areas that I hope to continue shrinking not only to look better but for health reasons as well. Other areas I want to shrink badly include my thighs and arms. But this is about my waist.
When I began my journey towards getting healthy and losing weight I was more or less maxed out on the size of pants I could buy locally at the Big & Tall store. The largest size they carried was a 60 waist in any of their clothes. I was able to locate larger sizes in the U.S. but didn't require any at that point as the 60's were still working for me.
Today I decided to try shopping at Walmart for pants rather than the usual store for fat guys. I knew I would still likely be in the 50's at the very least when it came to jeans but I took a chance that they might have some. They didn't.
After a fair bit of time searching through and lifting up the jeans on display to see the different sizes, I came across the largest pair I could find to that point. I didn't have much hope that they would fit but figured it doesn't hurt to zip into the changing room and at least see how close I was to fitting into them.
I was shocked and pleasantly surprised when I pulled them on, did up the button without having to suck in my gut and zipped the fly. The damn things actually fit!
The young lady must have wondered what the heck was going on when I came out with a big smile on my face. She was probably afraid to go in there. I grabbed a new t-shirt and my new jeans and headed for the checkout.
I left the store with my brand new size 46 jeans and a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. It was a great way to start off my weekend. Dropping from a size 60 to a size 46 was in my plans at some point but I had no idea it would happen that fast. Now I just have to get them hemmed since the legs are about eight inches too long for my short legs. Sadly there isn't any plan I know of that will allow me to increase my height. Not yet at least.
First and update on my weightloss. I am happy to report that I have now lost a total of 135 pounds to date. The progress has slowed some which I expected to happen and I know reaching my long term goal will be a battle I hope to win over the long haul.
The big news for this update centres around my centre so to speak. The all important waistline. This is one of the areas that I hope to continue shrinking not only to look better but for health reasons as well. Other areas I want to shrink badly include my thighs and arms. But this is about my waist.
When I began my journey towards getting healthy and losing weight I was more or less maxed out on the size of pants I could buy locally at the Big & Tall store. The largest size they carried was a 60 waist in any of their clothes. I was able to locate larger sizes in the U.S. but didn't require any at that point as the 60's were still working for me.
Today I decided to try shopping at Walmart for pants rather than the usual store for fat guys. I knew I would still likely be in the 50's at the very least when it came to jeans but I took a chance that they might have some. They didn't.
After a fair bit of time searching through and lifting up the jeans on display to see the different sizes, I came across the largest pair I could find to that point. I didn't have much hope that they would fit but figured it doesn't hurt to zip into the changing room and at least see how close I was to fitting into them.
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| Surprise! The actually fit me. |
The young lady must have wondered what the heck was going on when I came out with a big smile on my face. She was probably afraid to go in there. I grabbed a new t-shirt and my new jeans and headed for the checkout.
I left the store with my brand new size 46 jeans and a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. It was a great way to start off my weekend. Dropping from a size 60 to a size 46 was in my plans at some point but I had no idea it would happen that fast. Now I just have to get them hemmed since the legs are about eight inches too long for my short legs. Sadly there isn't any plan I know of that will allow me to increase my height. Not yet at least.
Saturday, August 03, 2013
Regaining My Life
As I travel down this weight-loss road I continue to receive amazing support from so many friends and family. Even complete strangers who know me have made comments about the changes they've seen in my appearance. Feed back like that does two things for me. It makes me feel great knowing that all of the hard work, exercise and changes I've made to my lifestyle are making a difference. It also motivates me to keep going because while I don't want to let myself down, I also feel as though I'd be letting a lot of other people down as well.
I've also heard from so many people following my journey, witnessing what I've accomplished and continue to strive for and they come to the realization that they can also make the changes necessary to work towards their own weight-loss goals. By no means did I set out to become a role model of any kind but I will certainly take that as a compliment.
If my updates here and on Facebook ignite something in you or give you hope then I only feel that much better about what I'm doing. Believe me when I say the encouragement I've received can never be repaid. It has propelled me in the right direction towards a healthier me. My life will only be richer if more of my friends feel motivated to make changes to ensure they're around for many more years as well.
Before I talk about the changes I've noticed so far since I began dropping the pounds, let me give you a quick update on where I stand.
Starting Weight: 418.8 pounds
Current Weight: 289.7 pounds
Weight Lost To Date: 129.1 pounds
Next Goal: 260 pounds
So as you can see, it's going pretty well. I think if you look at the comparison photo I posted of my stomach you can clearly notice how much it has shrunk so far. I admit it looks ugly with the skin getting loose and sagging at the bottom of the belly but after a lifetime of obesity and in recent years having the skin stretch the furthest it ever had, asking it to tighten up quickly is probably a pipe dream. But hopefully as I continue to shed the weight, I'll hit the gym this fall and start lifting weights and exercising to tone all of my problem areas. Trust me, I have plenty of those. My biggest concerns are the stomach, arms and thighs. I've always had huge thighs so anything I can do to shrink them down would be a bonus.
So let me get back to my original idea for this blog update, which is to mention a few of the changes I've noticed in my day to day life. These are things that all healthy people take for granted and might not even consider an issue for people who are overweight.
WALKING - It doesn't sound like much but if you've ever watched an obese person walk, it almost looks painful. In many cases it is. That's a lot of weight on the ankles and joints. For me I hated walking prior to dropping some pounds. Just the thought of having to walk put me in a bad mood because I knew even if I made it to where I was going, I would almost certainly pay for it the next day with a lot of pain. Today, I went for a 4km brisk walk and felt great. The only pain I have is in my right foot which suffered a lot of minor fractures over the years from supporting so much weight. But it isn't nearly as bad as it used to be. And my ankles feel fantastic. I had to give up a job working at a good friends golf course because my ankles couldn't handle working on the hills and uneven ground. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be the case today.
RESTAURANTS - You're probably thinking, "what the heck could the issue be in restaurants?" Imagine being a size 60+ waist and having to squeeze into a booth. It can't be done. That was the dilemma I was faced with every time I went out to eat with family. I know this annoyed some people because there would be booths open and the hostess could have seated us but because of me and my girth, we were forced to wait until a table with chairs came open. And if all they had were booths and they weren't big enough to accommodate me, then I had to go to a different place. I recall one time at a local place in Brighton there was only a booth available and the owner said she could place a chair at the end of the table for me. While I'm sure she thought she was helping, I was insulted and humiliated. I didn't want to be sitting out in a traffic area with patrons and waitresses trying to manoeuvre around me. I was already a big target for insults and stares, I didn't need a flashing neon arrow pointing at me saying, "Look at this fat bastard who can't fit in the booth!" Now, while I still prefer tables and chairs, I have found some restaurants where I couldn't sit on the bench or in a booth before, I can now. And in some others I can at least make it work. Hopefully in the near future this won't even be an issue for me.
DRIVING - This was more of a minor annoyance than anything else. As you can imagine the problem was fitting my stomach behind the wheel of the car or truck. When I bought my last car in 2007, I had to purchase a vehicle based on which one actually allowed me to drive it without having to steer with my belly. There were other vehicles I liked better but they just weren't an option. Today, I have plenty of room behind that same wheel and I've driven other vehicles that I used to rub against but now have lots of space to work. I look forward to getting my next mode of transportation. Maybe I'll get a Mini Cooper.
SHOWERING - Do you have any idea how difficult it is to shower when you can't reach every nook and cranny? I like to be clean and sometimes this was difficult to achieve properly when I was larger than I am now. I'm happy to report today that I am spic & span from top to bottom and all places in between. Also, some showers just aren't as roomy as others. I remember trying to shower on a cruise and spent more time bouncing off the walls as the ship rocked on the waves.
BATHROOM - I'll spare you the details. Lets just say I found some interesting ways to complete the job. This is something we deal with several times a day and most people wouldn't even give it consideration. I often thought about trying to invent something to assist obese people in similar situations. But I'll leave that up to someone more creative.
DRESSING - Again, this is something we have to do every day unless we vacation in a nude resort. When was the last time you got winded putting on socks or tying your shoe laces? I'm ashamed to admit this was the case at times. Straining to reach my feet was made all the more difficult with a huge belly in the way. Lifting my legs up to get my underwear or pants on was also a challenge at times. I could get the leg up but only keep it there momentarily and had to work quickly to try and get the leg of my pants under my foot to slide them on. It wasn't a pretty sight. It's not even an issue today.
CLOTHING - Along the same lines as dressing is trying to purchase clothes that fit. There is only one Big & Tall store in the area and unless you've stepped inside one you have no idea how expensive it is to buy clothing for large people. In fact, it's so bad here, I usually make two or three trips to the Casual Male location near my brothers place in Florida when I visit. Not only can I get clothes that fit and are cheaper but they have a much wider variety and nicer styles. The only bad thing so far with losing weight, other than not eating as much, is having a bunch of new clothes that I bought a year and a half ago that are now way too big for me. I bought a golf jacket that's a 6X and only wore it once. It's like a tent on me now. At this point I'd need a 3X and I'm almost into 2X size clothing. But it's a small price to pay to not have to spend a small fortune on a pair of pants or a new shirt.
Again, these are the challenges of being obese and I see people every day who I know struggle with the same things I did. That's right, I said "did." I'm thrilled by the little things now that have changed in my every day life that I have no doubt you wouldn't even bat an eye at. My goals are still a lot of hard work away but knowing how much I've accomplished so far will make achieving that goal easier. Not because it will be easy or because I'll get to my next goal quickly. It will be easier because I feel like a whole new person inside and out.
I've also heard from so many people following my journey, witnessing what I've accomplished and continue to strive for and they come to the realization that they can also make the changes necessary to work towards their own weight-loss goals. By no means did I set out to become a role model of any kind but I will certainly take that as a compliment.
If my updates here and on Facebook ignite something in you or give you hope then I only feel that much better about what I'm doing. Believe me when I say the encouragement I've received can never be repaid. It has propelled me in the right direction towards a healthier me. My life will only be richer if more of my friends feel motivated to make changes to ensure they're around for many more years as well.
Before I talk about the changes I've noticed so far since I began dropping the pounds, let me give you a quick update on where I stand.
Starting Weight: 418.8 pounds
Current Weight: 289.7 pounds
Weight Lost To Date: 129.1 pounds
Next Goal: 260 pounds
 |
| Can you see a difference? I think progress is being made. |
So let me get back to my original idea for this blog update, which is to mention a few of the changes I've noticed in my day to day life. These are things that all healthy people take for granted and might not even consider an issue for people who are overweight.
WALKING - It doesn't sound like much but if you've ever watched an obese person walk, it almost looks painful. In many cases it is. That's a lot of weight on the ankles and joints. For me I hated walking prior to dropping some pounds. Just the thought of having to walk put me in a bad mood because I knew even if I made it to where I was going, I would almost certainly pay for it the next day with a lot of pain. Today, I went for a 4km brisk walk and felt great. The only pain I have is in my right foot which suffered a lot of minor fractures over the years from supporting so much weight. But it isn't nearly as bad as it used to be. And my ankles feel fantastic. I had to give up a job working at a good friends golf course because my ankles couldn't handle working on the hills and uneven ground. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be the case today.
RESTAURANTS - You're probably thinking, "what the heck could the issue be in restaurants?" Imagine being a size 60+ waist and having to squeeze into a booth. It can't be done. That was the dilemma I was faced with every time I went out to eat with family. I know this annoyed some people because there would be booths open and the hostess could have seated us but because of me and my girth, we were forced to wait until a table with chairs came open. And if all they had were booths and they weren't big enough to accommodate me, then I had to go to a different place. I recall one time at a local place in Brighton there was only a booth available and the owner said she could place a chair at the end of the table for me. While I'm sure she thought she was helping, I was insulted and humiliated. I didn't want to be sitting out in a traffic area with patrons and waitresses trying to manoeuvre around me. I was already a big target for insults and stares, I didn't need a flashing neon arrow pointing at me saying, "Look at this fat bastard who can't fit in the booth!" Now, while I still prefer tables and chairs, I have found some restaurants where I couldn't sit on the bench or in a booth before, I can now. And in some others I can at least make it work. Hopefully in the near future this won't even be an issue for me.
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| I was offered a job at Sea World in 2007. |
SHOWERING - Do you have any idea how difficult it is to shower when you can't reach every nook and cranny? I like to be clean and sometimes this was difficult to achieve properly when I was larger than I am now. I'm happy to report today that I am spic & span from top to bottom and all places in between. Also, some showers just aren't as roomy as others. I remember trying to shower on a cruise and spent more time bouncing off the walls as the ship rocked on the waves.
BATHROOM - I'll spare you the details. Lets just say I found some interesting ways to complete the job. This is something we deal with several times a day and most people wouldn't even give it consideration. I often thought about trying to invent something to assist obese people in similar situations. But I'll leave that up to someone more creative.
DRESSING - Again, this is something we have to do every day unless we vacation in a nude resort. When was the last time you got winded putting on socks or tying your shoe laces? I'm ashamed to admit this was the case at times. Straining to reach my feet was made all the more difficult with a huge belly in the way. Lifting my legs up to get my underwear or pants on was also a challenge at times. I could get the leg up but only keep it there momentarily and had to work quickly to try and get the leg of my pants under my foot to slide them on. It wasn't a pretty sight. It's not even an issue today.
CLOTHING - Along the same lines as dressing is trying to purchase clothes that fit. There is only one Big & Tall store in the area and unless you've stepped inside one you have no idea how expensive it is to buy clothing for large people. In fact, it's so bad here, I usually make two or three trips to the Casual Male location near my brothers place in Florida when I visit. Not only can I get clothes that fit and are cheaper but they have a much wider variety and nicer styles. The only bad thing so far with losing weight, other than not eating as much, is having a bunch of new clothes that I bought a year and a half ago that are now way too big for me. I bought a golf jacket that's a 6X and only wore it once. It's like a tent on me now. At this point I'd need a 3X and I'm almost into 2X size clothing. But it's a small price to pay to not have to spend a small fortune on a pair of pants or a new shirt.
Again, these are the challenges of being obese and I see people every day who I know struggle with the same things I did. That's right, I said "did." I'm thrilled by the little things now that have changed in my every day life that I have no doubt you wouldn't even bat an eye at. My goals are still a lot of hard work away but knowing how much I've accomplished so far will make achieving that goal easier. Not because it will be easy or because I'll get to my next goal quickly. It will be easier because I feel like a whole new person inside and out.
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