Better late than never...

Spliner1969

I've been using Myfitnesspal pretty much since January of this year. I've been more of a lurker than anything, but I've been having some great success with the site and this community so thought I should probably take the time to introduce myself...

I started out in January at a weight of 305. I'm 6'2" tall, and have had a prior back surgery for a bulging disc about 10 years ago, and have also had knee surgery about a year before that. So my joints have already been through the ringer with the tough jobs I've taken over the years anyway, and the extra weight was making things much worse. In January I was at the point where I was in pain nearly every day, and was already being treated at age 45 for arthritis in my knees. About the only thing they could do for my knees was give me prescription pain killers and tell me to lose weight. So I started in January cutting out sugar in my diet. I didn't stop eating foods with sugar in them so much, but I began looking for the "no sugar added" varieties, and I stopped drinking coffee (because I love it with sugar). I also stopped drinking sugary drinks like soda, etc. I switched to diet soda and mainly tried to drink water instead. By the end of January I seemed to have lost 5 lbs but it wasn't enough because honestly it could have been water weight. I had been on MFP but wasn't taking it seriously in January, it was shaping up to be one of those New Year's resolutions (to lose weight) that gets forgotten about because it's too difficult. But, the pain was always there to remind me.

In February of this year I decided I needed to start exercising and I started logging my food on MFP. By mid-February I had worked up to walking 2 miles a day and logging everything I ate on MFP. Results started to show up quickly and I've been doing great ever since.. at least until mid-July when I somehow managed to get 2 more bulging discs in my lower back and everything screeched to a halt. I'm still logging things on MFP and trying to stay under my goals. But I can no longer walk for exercise or use my stair climber machine. I'm seeing a surgeon in a week from today to see what else can be done besides steroids. I've managed to lose, as of today, 71 lbs using MFP and exercise. I've begun weight lifting for the last three months, and am keeping up on as much of that as I can without putting any extra weight on my lower back (it's difficult but can be done). Weight loss has slowed considerably but it's still happening.

Anyway, I have five grandchildren, three daughters, and a wonderful wife. I want to get in better shape and live a long life with them so I'm not giving up despite my injuries. I set my first goal at 225lbs which was the weight I was at 10 years ago before the back surgery and a desk job coupled with bad eating habits shot me up to 305lbs. I'm not quite there, 234 as of this morning but I'm getting close. Once I hit 225 I will set it down to my ultimate goal of 190 and we'll see how things go. I don't have any recent pics of myself but will try and post some before/after ones soon once I hit my first goal. My profile has a couple of 'before' pics, will try and get some new ones taken.

So, hello everyone! I could use more friends if anyone wants to send an invite this way. A couple of you have already reached out which I appreciate very much! I'd love to encourage others and receive encouragement from others as well.

Spliner1969

phillipdean299

Feel free to add me.

suruda

Welcome! You've had great success since January! If you can't currently exercise the way you have been, you may need to lower your daily calorie goal for a little while to keep on losing. Are there other things you can do to stay a little bit active? Swim, pilates, something not strenuous on your back?

It's all worth the fight...I'm sure you are feeling better (other than the back issues) and able to do more with your family! Congratulations on what you have achieved so far!

Spliner1969

Since January I have been at a 2lbs/week goal. Right before my injury I had lowered that to 1.5lbs per week because it was becoming harder and harder to maintain it. MFP was setting me at below 1600 calories a day. For a guy my size I felt like I was starving. I set it at 1.5lbs/week and it's raised me back up close to 1800 calories a day which I believe is about 400 calories a day below my maintenance weight. I still seem to be able to lose about 1-1.5lbs a week so I think I'm ok at the moment. I have a sedimentary lifestyle, more so now than before. So I don't include any exercise in my calculations even though I still try and do as much as I can. Even when I was exercising daily after work each day I had it set at sedimentary so the weight loss was fairly rapid. I'm keeping a close eye on it though, if it stalls for more than a week or so or if I gain weight for more than a week at a time I'll be sure to adjust. I may not be able to walk more than a block or two right now but every chance I get I do the running for the family.. to the store, etc. anything to get exercise. In a store if I can lean on a cart I'm good to go for much longer than I can walk unassisted without pain right now. Every little chance I get to burn an extra calorie I take.

Thanks!

Spliner1969

Oh, and the doctors have suggested swimming. I simply don't have access to a pool. I'd have to drive about 30 minutes for a public beach/lake and/or buy a membership at the YMCA for access to a pool all year around. I may actually do that this winter once I figure out if I am going to have to go under the knife soon.

RodaRose

Good job on your weight loss! Beyond swimming, have the doctors recommended other exercise? Maybe get a referral to a Physical Therapist so you can do certain exercises that are appropriate /very safe.