When Allison and I got married, I weighed a solid 300 lbs. And it wasn't fun... or pretty. My back hurt constantly, I got winded every time I stood up, I had sleep apnea... oh, and I hated the way I looked. I ate when I felt bad, and I felt bad when I ate. It really was a vicious cycle.
Like most people, I felt like I had tried everything. I had done fad diets, getting rid of all my junk food, switching to diet soda, stopping eating anything that's white, and a bunch of other stuff. But it seemed like no matter what I did, I just couldn't lose the weight.
Then one day, I gave up on diets, and it was the best thing I've ever done for myself.
It doesn't take a genius to realize that fad diets, and weight loss pills don't work. We've got a booming market for weight loss products, and there's still an obesity epidemic.
In the beginning
I knew that if I wanted to lose weight, I was going to have to do something else - something more holistic. What if, instead of trying to loose all the weight at once, I learned to live a healthy lifestyle and lost the weight over a longer period of time? It was a crazy idea, but it just seemed like it might be crazy enough to work.
So to start I just took one simple step. I started by cutting down on carbs. I stopped eating bread, and began loosing weight immediately. But that wasn't the hard part. The truth is, when you're over weight, you can do just about anything and drop a few pounds.
Soon after I added a workout to my diet. I rededicated myself to a sport that I've come to love - boxing. And again, I dropped a little more weight. Within 6 months, I had lost 30 lbs. It was tough... or so I thought
Over the next year or two, I slowly lost more weight simply by being diet conscious and exercise focused. Before too long, I was down below 250, but to be honest I wasn't really putting a ton of effort into losing weight. And that was when I had my first setback.
The Setback
In the middle of 2014, I had a surgery where I had more than 70 tumors removed from my body (I'd say it's a long story, but it's not. I just get tumors.) And during my recovery from the surgery, I gained back 20 lbs of what I had lost. That was depressing, which caused me to binge eat... which made me depressed...
I had had a taste of weight loss, and I was terrified to go back to being so fat that I couldn't tie my shoes. And if I had learned anything about weight loss, it's that only the people who get back on the wagon lose weight. So I reapplied myself again. Only this time, I adapted my plan.
Utilizing tools like Myfitness Pal, Endomondo, a local boxing gym, and a wife who was incredibly supportive, I started shedding weight like crazy. I was dropping pant sizes and belt loops, and feeling amazing.
Crushing it
Then just yesterday, I stepped on the scale and smiled at the read out that said 215.2 lbs. That's 5 lbs below my the target weight that I set back when I was pushing 300. For the last decade, I've always worn XXL shirts. When I went out to get a shirt to wear for a date with Allison, I purchased and wore a medium. If I've ever seen a miracle, it was the moment I buttoned up that medium sized shirt and looked in the mirror.
It's been an amazing journey, but it's important for me to remember that I've crossed no finish line. In fact, this is where things get harder. As I get older, it will be more difficult to keep the weight off. And, like you, I don't live in a world that's filled with healthy food.
Even though I've lost 85 lbs, I have to be more diligent than ever if I want to stay this way. So here's a short list of the things I did to lose the weight, and what I'll continue doing to keep it off.
Set non-weight related goals. People always set weight goals. The only problem is, losing weight isn't very fun. So when I set goals, I keep my weight goals in the back of my head, and set the more interesting goals in front of me. Winning 2 out of my first 3 fights was one goal that motivated me a lot. Now I'm chipping away at the goal of lowering my body fat to 12%, and I want to log into MyFitness Pal 365 days in a row.
I enjoy thinking about those things way more than watching my weight. And as I continue with a healthy lifestyle, I'll continue to set fun goals.
Never stop getting back on the wagon. We've all fallen off the wagon before. No one is exempt. So don't try to fight it. Just learn how to get back on more quickly.
The other day I totally cracked and ate like 4 pieces of cheesecake... and I wasn't even hungry. But I didn't let it get me down. I logged all those cheesecake calories in Myfitness Pal, and picked back up with healthy eating the same day.
Get the right tools. I'm beginning to feel like this post is just one big ad for Myfitness Pal. It's not my intention to try to sell you on that app. And there are other great calorie counting apps out there. But I couldn't have done it without Myfitness Pal and other apps like Endomondo, and my boxing timer app.
Get the right people. I love working out with other people. So I try to surround myself with 2 kinds of people. The first is people who I want to be like. These people are my trainers, sparring buddies, and running partners.
The second group of people I spend time around is guys who I think I can encourage or help in some way. You'll notice that when you start losing weight, others will want to know what you're doing. So when people ask me what I've been doing to lose the weight, I'll invite them to come with me.
Leave wiggle room. I eat very healthy these days. I count every calorie that I take in, and I love it. I also love popcorn that's smothered in butter. As I write this blog post (at 10:30p) I'm munching on a huge bowl of buttered popcorn and I've got no shame about that. It's important to always leave a cheat day, or cheat meal in the mix to keep yourself on track.
Do the dumb stuff you always hear people talking about. There's a reason they say not to eat anything after 8:00PM. It's because it works. So when you hear people give little tips, like use portion control and chew your food well, listen to them. Every little thing you do will work toward accomplishing your goals.
What about you? What's helped you shed unwanted lbs and balance your life? Please leave an answer in the comment space below.
Warmly,
Tim
What a great post. Keep up the good work man!
ReplyDeleteThanks Travis!
DeleteI am glad that you mentioned your setbacks, I think too many times people talk about, or at least give the impression that, their success as a linear progression, where there is a steady improvement over time. I also had a bit of a hiccup with my plans and efforts when I had my wisdom teeth removed. In fact, what I expected to last only a week ended up slowing me down for almost the whole month of February. Since then I've been slowly regaining progress on the goals that I had made for the year. That is what is important about any process, like weight loss or learning a new skill, not letting the setbacks ruin the progress even when they disrupt them for a short period.
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of weight loss advice, I heard that it is generally a good idea not to weigh yourself too often, I think is said once a week or month. That way you avoid getting discouraged by the little fluctuations in your weight on a day to day basis. Again, it goes back to the idea of linear progress, if we aren't seeing constant improvement then we get discouraged.
Yeah man, setbacks are important. It's our failures that really teach us. As for weighing in, I've met some people who don't weigh themselves. And it's important that they not face the discouragement. I, however, weigh myself every morning. And when I weigh more than I think I ought to, it's a good reminder that I need to double down on self discipline for the day.
DeleteI think it's just one of those things that works differently for different people. Thanks again for commenting Carl. I always appreciate your insight.