1001 Days

GorillaNJ · July 2013

1001 days ago I logged on her the first time and I keep coming back... A quick time for me to reflect on where I was and where I am...

I was a miserable person. I do not know what I weighed because I refused to step on a scale... but I am guessing I was north of 320lbs. I had never been a small person, but I never would have pictured myself where I was then. One day in meeting a co-worker. Not a real close friend or anything like that, told me to speak with him in my his office after a meeting. Expecting a project of some sort I went in and he gave me a small piece of paper that said Myfitnesspal.com. He told me to check it out and I needed to to something about where my weight was going.

I was outraged... but played it cool. Went back to my office and put that scrap of paper in my desk drawer and did not look at it... I knew he was right but I am way too stubborn to admit that so quickly. The weekend came... and as if my eyes had not been opened enough i was smacked in the face. I was a coach for my oldest son's football team. The coaches shirts came in.. the biggest size they had squeezed me like I was 10lbs of crap in a 5lb bag. I noticed other father running and playing with the kids, and there was no way I could do that.... Here I am in that shirt actually a couple of pounds down from my worst.

I hated that shirt.. i would stretch it over and over again so i could just put it on... But then I logged into MFP. Met some great supportive friends and I was logging every bite of food. What do you know... the weight started coming off. Slowly but surely it was going. So I knew it was time to step it up.. I went and joined a local gym and picked up a copy of the New Rules of Lifting. That book became my bible for a year. By time the spring came I felt like a new man... I added some running into routine, even trained myself for and completed my first 5k. I was 70lbs lighter then when I first stepped on the scale, and my new coaching shirt was a smaller size and fit MUCH better.

The next year I sort of wondered... was logging here everyday but not really watching the food but still hitting the gym. Making better and better friendships on here, but slowly putting some weight back on... not a ton of weight but a good 20lbs snuck back onto me, maybe some muscle and definitely some more beer belly.

So football season passed and guess what.. I had not really kicked my @ss as much as I needed to and the weight was still coming... thankfully my good friend from here Sara had convinced me to sign up for the Spartan Sprint in Tuxedo NY. When I had signed up I knew I would not be able to do most anything that was involved with it... so it turned into a major goal. A goal that had me cut the carbs from my diet, had me getting up at 4:30 in the morning to run and practice my army crawls across cold wet baseball fields. Have me trail running a small mountain near my house, and switching my workout from NROL to 5/3/1 to better assist my running. I became a regular at 5am in my gym and made fast showers and fast drives to the train into an art form. All that hard work paid off... without the major details that race was one of the hardest and best things I have ever done for myself and it was thanks to my team that I finished so proud!

So where does that leave me now... 1001 days into making myself better. Being 5'9" and 247lbs (checked this morning) I still have 47lbs until I reach my weight goal. I am planning on doing that Spartan Sprint again next year but I am trying to find some sort of goal to focus in the less long term then that... I'm still lifting at 5 but those 4:30 runs are becoming less frequent.

Here is the first coaching shirt today

I do have a lot of friends on here, some who I am closer with then others. Over 1001 days you see a lot of people come and go, some who impact you very deeply, some who are just fun to talk to! Both are important, in my eyes at least. Some friends who leave and you miss and some that leave and you are relieved! So many people even if we do not talk much inspire me with their commitment to fitness and hard work, or some with their commitment to snarky humor!

I did not want to call this before and after because I am not at after... and actually probably will never be an AFTER, but before and no rocking a suit

escloflowneCHANGED · July 2013

Awesome, keep up the good work!!! See you at the Spartan in 2014!!!

Beckyloo80 · July 2013

*High five* buddy! great job! and I can't wait to see you for the next 1000 days

a true inspiration to us all!

xampx · July 2013

Awesome! Congrats on 1001! Keep at it

jenbit · July 2013

That is just killer....... I loved how you stuck with it even after a little of the weight returned

amberlykay1014 · July 2013

This is so amazing! Great job, dude! I'm sure your son is beyond proud of you.

bongochick45 · July 2013

What an awesome story! Great work!

jjay23 · July 2013

you really have done an amazing job! well done for keeping at it and setting goals! you are looking great

lcransaw · July 2013

Keep up the good work!!! I see the progress!

SACasto · July 2013

That is amazing! You have done what most people can only dream of, and look amazing! Congrats!

Seaglass1123 · July 2013

Congrats to you!!!

coliema · July 2013

You are awesome :flowerforyou: Amazing job!

happieharpie · July 2013

Don't know how old you are, but your "after" sure looks 10 years younger than your "before". PLUS, your children are really lucky to be getting a dad who's getting a year younger with ever pound of loss instead of getting a year older with every pound of gain.....