Greetings, kids.
A few years ago, I weighed well over 325lbs. Actually, because I couldn’t get an accurate weight on our bathroom scale, I have no idea what my highest weight was. A year or two before I started dieting, I weighed 327lbs. at a doctor’s appointment. By the time I started changing my lifestyle in 2004, I probably weighed 350lbs or more. Probably more. That’s what five years of free cafeteria meals, Ramen noodles, and Red Dog beer will do to you.
In December 2003 or so, my father was diagnosed with diabetes. He had to give up the thing he loved most: Pepsi. I know my mom couldn’t give it up alongside him, so as a show of moral support, I told my father that I too would give up sugary soda. Once I’d given that up, I decided… what the hell? May as well go all the way and try to seriously lose some weight. So I cut out white bread, sugary desserts, cut way back on starches, cut way back on my drinking of real beer, ate more lean meat, ate a lot more salad, etc.
Fast forwarding to May 2008, and I’ve plateaued officially. I was stuck somewhere between 230 and 245lbs. I wasn’t gaining any more weight, but I wasn’t losing weight, either. It was frustrating. With a little loving push from a good friend of mine, I gave The Daily Plate a shot. The Daily Plate is a calorie-counting website. Eat something? Put it on your Plate. Exercise? Put it on your Plate. It’s really handy, especially if you’re chained to a desk all day like I am.
So with the nudge in the right direction, I decide to finally start keeping close track of my calories and, horror of horrors, start working out. I’ve gone from 15 minutes on the exercise bike to 60 minutes on the exercise bike, and I’ve also started to work in time on the elliptical trainer as well. So far, since starting working out in May 12 and watching calories on April 27, I’ve lost 30lbs. I’ve got 17 more until I hit my goal of getting down below 200lbs.
It’s going to be a never-ending process, and I definitely have my struggles and setbacks, but it takes time to undo 20 years or so of bad eating and sedentary lifestyle.
August 1, 2008 at 10:41 am
I have been tracking my eating and workouts as well, using my blog, for the last week or two. I’ll be curious to follow your progress. Are you going to post you intake here? Good luck!
August 1, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Yeah, I’ve got like… 100 days of backed up intake to post, and I’m going to post it here, and copy over some diary entries, and that sort of thing. Good luck yourself, and I’m going to add you to my blogroll!
August 9, 2008 at 1:36 am
It was more like a loving “People’s Elbow” but it worked! I’m so proud of everything you’ve done and so glad you didn’t listen to the other feedback. You’re doing great!
August 9, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Well, I *was* doing great, except for this week. Birthdays will do that to ya, though!