The long trip. Made it the first few miles in tact

tinger12

It is interesting to read everyone's posts and comments here. It is a bit discouraging to see that 90% of the people are women. Being a man seems to be the minority. Nothing against anyone improving themselves, but it seems either men don't express themselves, don't care, or are handling things on their own.

Anyway gratz to all who have accomplished so much. Always an uplifting read every day here.

Back to me (yeah time to step on the soapbox). I started my current journey on July 6th and am looking for a trip that will last a couple years before I can put the cruise control on and maintain a steady speed. But for now it is about learning to drive safe and consistent without resorting to old habits. My old habits lead to a quad-bypass 15 years ago and it has taken me that long to come to terms with the reasons.

I started out at 490 lbs. Yep, you read that correct, 490 lbs. I am 6'2" and 53 years old. Because of the weight I have bad knees, bad hips, and other quality of life issues. But I still maintained my ability to take care of myself. Until this summer.

Anyway, after seven weeks logging my intake and the guidance of my doctor, I am down around 25-30 lbs(I am guessing). MFP calculates I should intake about 2920 a day to maintain things as they were. However my doctor and I have developed a change that lets me consume 1700-2000 a day. I am not going to starve myself and am very comfortable with her plan.

Unfortunately due to my weight and associated issues I cannot yet exercise much. That will change as the weight goes away. I also cannot weight myself as a scale to support the weight is not common. Even my doctor doesn't have a scale for me to use. That's OK as I think I have found one that is reasonably priced.

I did just go through my first round of buying new clothes last week. My older clothes are still wearable, but are quite baggy and I only wear them around my residence. Shoes were another recent upgrade. These purchases were quite encouraging as even as I don't know the numbers, the clothes and shoes are telling me things are happening and moving in the right direction.

Guys out there, it is not just a women's issue to lose weight. We need to take that hard look in the mirror and become honest with ourselves. We may be different in how our bodies work, but men need to be as vigilant in learning to take care of themselves also.

pstegman888

Good for you for having the courage and foresight to get started on the right track. If you haven't yet viewed the "Success Stories" forum, I encourage you to browse through it. There are several threads from men who were in your weight range, and even higher, who have had tremendous success, or are still on their journey. It might be an encouragement & motivator for you. Wishing you all the best! The MFP forums are a great place to get questions answered and all kinds of tips.

eileensofianmushinfine

wishing you all the best! Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. It's taken me 2 years to drop 52 pounds -- and I'm okay with that. My eating habits are world's better than I started and I am amazed at how strong I am getting. This is a great forum for support. Welcome!

nvmomketo

Great work so far! I hope you continue to have such great success.