The Beginning
It’s tough to say when I really decided I needed to change my ways. I’ve always been pretty stubborn about certain things and this was one of them. Working out comes second nature to me. I love it. I could spend all day at the gym and be perfectly happy, and then go back again that night. What I can’t stand is watching what I eat. I always thought I was at least pretty conscious of it. I only drank diet sodas and sugar free drinks. Picked low fat, “lean”, whole wheat, and low carb options over the alternative. So in my mind I was “eating right”. Whenever I start getting really into working out I start to see my weight go up. Love to lift weights, don’t really like running (but will do it when forced). But no matter what variation I put on my workout I could never lose weight. Things all started coming to a head a few months ago. I was on a vacation with my brothers (who all look like Men’s Health cover models) and for the first time felt uncomfortable as their older brother with my shirt off. I had a talk with one of my brothers which sort of sparked my interest in making a change in the way I approach things. Then in May we received some family pictures we had taken and I was amazed at how fat my face had gotten. Seeing myself everyday for the past few years and sucking in every time I walked by the mirror lead me to convince myself that it wasn’t “that bad”. I could see now that it in fact was.
The Reason
One of my greatest concerns was that as time went on I would let things get worse, and I feared I would not have the energy to keep up with my rambunctious and often hyperactive son Ryler. I love his energy and his enthusiasm for life and I want more than anything to forever be able to dive right in to whatever activity he’s involved in and be a fun active participant in his life.
The Plan
A friend of mine at work had lost a lot of weight and I approached him about the secret to his success. He introduced me to the Men’s Health Belly Off program. I’d tried South Beach, Weight Watchers, and other programs that produced results but weren’t exactly lifestyles I could continue living after achieving my ultimate goal. I printed out the menus, recipes, and grocery lists; went over the details of it with my wife; and decided to give it a go. Using their meal plan as a base I determined how many calories my body burns a day at rest (BMR). From there I used basic math to set a goal number of calories for each day in order to lose about two pounds a week. With 3,500 calories in a pound of body I fat, I took 7,000 calories out of my weekly diet and divided it over seven days. I decided that about 1,550 calories a day would be sufficient and also provide me with a cushion for errors in calculating. I downloaded an app for my BlackBerry that helps me keep track of my calories, and another to look up the calorie content of any given item. I set a goal to lose 25lbs by my birthday, which would have me weighing in on July 2 at 200lbs. I would weigh in only once a week, each Sunday morning, so that I wouldn’t drive myself crazy watching my weight fluctuate on a daily/hourly basis.
The Result
Each time I start a new “diet” I’m excited, motivated, and anxious for results. But this time I could feel was different. This was easy. This was not a diet per say, this was a change in lifestyle. The first thing I noticed right off the bat was the amount of time I spent in the food pantry looking for something to eat when I wasn’t even hungry. I never realized how much or how often I snacked. And as far as healthy options are concerned, there weren’t many at my house. It made me laugh each time I found myself standing in the pantry for no good reason then thinking about the calories I would have to enter into my daily totals and realizing I had either already just eaten, or was due to eat in a short period of time. Staying full was simple, just by using the meals and snacks from the Belly Off program I came in each day at my caloric goal without ever getting hungry. The next thing I noticed was the insane amounts of energy I had. I was literally bouncing off the walls with energy. I would run around the house chasing my son all over the place, jump up and down like a mad man just to see him smile, and dance like a fool to get his attention. I couldn’t sit still. I started going on long walks with him, playing on the floor with him (he’s only 11 months), and then going on walks again. I was not only spending more time with him but more quality time. Doing things that he was loving and never getting tired. I started to help out more around the house, which I’m sure my wife loved. Cleaning, cooking, just doing odd jobs to keep busy, to keep burning calories, and to keep using my seemingly endless supply of energy.
After the first week I weighed in on Sunday morning and had lost three pounds. I was ecstatic. One pound better than I had hoped. It was healthy weight loss, it was safe, and it was real and lasting. The following weeks continued much in the same fashion. I rarely struggled with hunger and continually found myself with an abundance of energy. I was loving every minute of it. Each week I looked forward to Sunday’s weigh-in with great anticipation and each week I found myself losing 3-5lbs. I became addicted to the results. It was like a highly addictive drug and every Sunday morning I got my fix. The results became my motivation to say no to just about every temptation that came my way during the week. I was too happy, and too excited, and loving it too much to let a donut or candy bar get in the way of my success. I was so driven by my success that it became nearly effortless to keep going.
Nine weeks later I have lost 35lbs and for the first time in nine years I am under 200lbs. I exceeded my goal of weighing 200lbs on my birthday by five pounds. I’ll never forget the first time I stepped on the scale and saw it read 195lbs! I'm now 190lbs and my newly adjusted goal is to lose just 5 more pounds, bringing the total weight loss to 40lbs, before Ryler’s birthday on August 15th. Then I plan to maintain a healthy weight of 185lbs.
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