From Size 50+ Jeans to 38 (Huge Album of Photos Part 2)
JasonAxelrod
Posts: 58 Member
Photos are at the bottom.
Back at the end of April, I posted here about my progress thus far, having been 72 pounds down from 361.6 and shared a slew of the weekly progress photos I'd been taking.
Well, four months later, I'm 74 pounds down. 2 pounds in four months? What the hell? Well, shortly after I made that thread, I was hit with the absolutely worst gout attack I've ever experienced in my life, and was literally off my feet for nine weeks, which resulted in complete disarray both on my exercise plan and my dieting, and I gained back about 10 pounds.
After it finally faded in mid-July, I resolved myself to reinspire myself, and so at 296 pounds, after not having exercised or dieted for nearly three months, and did something crazy. I got dressed at 4AM on a random Sunday, and with a sudden rush of inspiration that I usually ignore and let pass within an hour or two, I drove to a summit trail and spent the next five hours hiking to the very top and all the way back down again. It was a two mile hike with a 1200 foot elevation, and although that tends to be very little for most, I was barely below 300 pounds, and I wasn't even CLOSE to physically ready for that.
It was one of the hardest physical things I've ever done in my life, with the wrong shoes, not even close to enough water, and in the summer Arizona heat, but I did it, and it felt amazing.
Since then, I've been working really hard to fight through compulsive binge episodes, discouragement, and the negativity that had built up over those nine weeks off my feet. The high and the euphoria that I got from summiting the very highest peak of that trail was huge, but I quickly realized that going from one extreme to another does not help me find the balance that I truly need to settle back into—the balance that got me from November to April without any major hiccups.
I'm on the doorstep of getting back to where I left off, at 285.0 (I am 287.6 as of today), I've secured myself a full-time job with benefits that I start on in about a month, I'm getting my AA degree (finally) in December, and I'll have my own place within the next six months, I'm projecting. I'm getting **** back in order, and although most of these things are still a ways off, I'm doing my best to look forward and to focus on what I'm doing now in the meantime. It all helps.
But what's helped even more are the amazing people I've met here who have become close, dear friends who provide me with such a strong support system I never could have believed was possible, so thank you for that.
So, I've been doing keto (high-fat, low-carb) since the end of November, and weighed in at 361.6 at that time. I have been heavier than even that, as the first two photos were my heaviest ever and I never weighed myself at the time, but that was my initial starting point. Now, I'm 74 pounds down. I go to the gym generally 5 days a week, taking the weekends off, sticking with the elliptical and three pretty involved lifting regimens that I cycle through. My diet has consisted hugely of chicken breast recipes such as chicken parm (using almond flour/parmesan cheese breading and low-carb pizza sauce for marinara), chicken alfredo or pesto, cauliflower stir fried rice, etc., as well as pepper jack and fontina cheeses, pecans and hazelnuts, eggs and bacon, occasional tuna salad, and I'm only recently starting to delve into some keto-friendly dessert recipes. Diet Sierra Mist and Crystal Light have also been amazing.
I'm hoping to get down to 180 before I start bulking up and cutting down in order to try and get my body fat to where I want it, and hopefully after a few years I'll be able to end at around 210 to 230, looking nice and cut. That's my super-endgame, though, and I will probably have a better idea of what I'm going to want as I get closer to 200.
Anyway, below are my photos. I hope they entertain or can somehow inspire!
Album: http://imgur.com/a/bHM8K#0
Maybe my favorite of them:
Back at the end of April, I posted here about my progress thus far, having been 72 pounds down from 361.6 and shared a slew of the weekly progress photos I'd been taking.
Well, four months later, I'm 74 pounds down. 2 pounds in four months? What the hell? Well, shortly after I made that thread, I was hit with the absolutely worst gout attack I've ever experienced in my life, and was literally off my feet for nine weeks, which resulted in complete disarray both on my exercise plan and my dieting, and I gained back about 10 pounds.
After it finally faded in mid-July, I resolved myself to reinspire myself, and so at 296 pounds, after not having exercised or dieted for nearly three months, and did something crazy. I got dressed at 4AM on a random Sunday, and with a sudden rush of inspiration that I usually ignore and let pass within an hour or two, I drove to a summit trail and spent the next five hours hiking to the very top and all the way back down again. It was a two mile hike with a 1200 foot elevation, and although that tends to be very little for most, I was barely below 300 pounds, and I wasn't even CLOSE to physically ready for that.
It was one of the hardest physical things I've ever done in my life, with the wrong shoes, not even close to enough water, and in the summer Arizona heat, but I did it, and it felt amazing.
Since then, I've been working really hard to fight through compulsive binge episodes, discouragement, and the negativity that had built up over those nine weeks off my feet. The high and the euphoria that I got from summiting the very highest peak of that trail was huge, but I quickly realized that going from one extreme to another does not help me find the balance that I truly need to settle back into—the balance that got me from November to April without any major hiccups.
I'm on the doorstep of getting back to where I left off, at 285.0 (I am 287.6 as of today), I've secured myself a full-time job with benefits that I start on in about a month, I'm getting my AA degree (finally) in December, and I'll have my own place within the next six months, I'm projecting. I'm getting **** back in order, and although most of these things are still a ways off, I'm doing my best to look forward and to focus on what I'm doing now in the meantime. It all helps.
But what's helped even more are the amazing people I've met here who have become close, dear friends who provide me with such a strong support system I never could have believed was possible, so thank you for that.
So, I've been doing keto (high-fat, low-carb) since the end of November, and weighed in at 361.6 at that time. I have been heavier than even that, as the first two photos were my heaviest ever and I never weighed myself at the time, but that was my initial starting point. Now, I'm 74 pounds down. I go to the gym generally 5 days a week, taking the weekends off, sticking with the elliptical and three pretty involved lifting regimens that I cycle through. My diet has consisted hugely of chicken breast recipes such as chicken parm (using almond flour/parmesan cheese breading and low-carb pizza sauce for marinara), chicken alfredo or pesto, cauliflower stir fried rice, etc., as well as pepper jack and fontina cheeses, pecans and hazelnuts, eggs and bacon, occasional tuna salad, and I'm only recently starting to delve into some keto-friendly dessert recipes. Diet Sierra Mist and Crystal Light have also been amazing.
I'm hoping to get down to 180 before I start bulking up and cutting down in order to try and get my body fat to where I want it, and hopefully after a few years I'll be able to end at around 210 to 230, looking nice and cut. That's my super-endgame, though, and I will probably have a better idea of what I'm going to want as I get closer to 200.
Anyway, below are my photos. I hope they entertain or can somehow inspire!
Album: http://imgur.com/a/bHM8K#0
Maybe my favorite of them:
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Replies
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Brilliant, great job & transformation! Fab photo album too
Keep up the good work! 0 -
Thanks so much! Been a slow few weeks, but I'm still on the downward and I feel my momentum picking up again.
Just pasting in the pics here for easier viewing:
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Win! :drinker:0
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Incredible! Some terrific photos! I especially love the kick and the one where you are doing a back bend. I am curious ; how tall are you because my husband is about 285 and you look a lot slimmer than he is but he's 5' 8". Keep working hard. Your last photo looks like a happy guy.:flowerforyou:0
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Thank you both very much!
Hoppy, I'm a sliver shy of 6'0. That said, I'm a muffin-top and my fat has always been very, very dense and though I'm still humungous compared to other people, folks seem surprised that I weigh as much as I do when I tell them.0 -
Happy Saturday Jason,
Amazing story and journey you are on and thank you so much for inspiring me to reach my own goals not only in weight loss but also in life!
I can tell you are one determined man and you should be so proud of yourself.
Take care,
Rose0 -
Great job and AWESOME photo album! Totally awesome!0
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what awesome job you have done for your self!!! Love the pics,!!0
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One idea on gout, FWIW, and keep in mind that I'm not a doctor and don't play one on TV: DH gets gout attacks occasionally and the meds they gave him had bad side effects for him. I did some research and found that dried cherries were good for treating gout. Now when his toes start to tingle, he enjoys some dried cherries. It takes a day or two but the symptoms go away. Dried cherries do have calories (not a concern for DH) but it's better than having to be sedentary because of the pain.
I hope this helps, and keep up the good work!0 -
One idea on gout, FWIW, and keep in mind that I'm not a doctor and don't play one on TV: DH gets gout attacks occasionally and the meds they gave him had bad side effects for him. I did some research and found that dried cherries were good for treating gout. Now when his toes start to tingle, he enjoys some dried cherries. It takes a day or two but the symptoms go away. Dried cherries do have calories (not a concern for DH) but it's better than having to be sedentary because of the pain.
I hope this helps, and keep up the good work!
Thanks very much for sharing that. I've been suggested black cherry and regular cherry juice in the past, as well. The juice didn't seem to help, but I'll give dried cherries a shot next time around. I was given the long-term preventative medicaton rather than the other (I think there were two I read about) that was used to acutely treat an attack, and I don't take it because of fear of it causing ulcers. It had gotten pretty bad to the point where it had spread up my foot (never happened before) so I started taking them, but I had horrible stomach pains shortly after and stopped, so I'll pretty much try anything to avoid that.0 -
Love your story. Especially because life does get in the way sometimes and interferes with our weight loss plans but you picked back up right where you left off and that is what makes a person successful.0
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You look incredible... Fun pictures...0
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thats AWESOME,..you proved it can be done too, i was there as well, and i kept off now over 2 years, isn;t it a great feeling, i went from a 38 waist to a 32 waist, my motivation now, is i keep a picture before i lost the weight on the rerigotor, it Works,0
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Great job! and Great photos!0
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OMG you are hilarious! I LOVED the picture show. Totally original. Congrats on your amazing weight loss. You look incredible and put a huge smile on my face.0
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Awesome and very entertaining!0
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haha your fkn amazing!! good job! looking good!!0
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Great job on your weight loss and continual progress. Great photos! Thanks for sharing.0
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Incredible attitude and love the pics!! Great way to look at life! 0
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Nice progress, thanks for sharing such cute pictures! Congrats and here's to continued success! You look fabulous! :bigsmile:0
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Okay, I just want to complain for a minute, about how you were hot at every single weight. Damn you!! *tiny fist shake*
GREAT JOB.0 -
This is one of the coolest things ever; creative, refreshing and unique. Amazing job! Kudos!: drinker:0
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I am loving the progress pics! Congrats on your great progress 0
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Love!0
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Congratulations on your success and I love the album!!!! keep up the great work!!!!0
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Great effort on your part, loved your pictures, very creative. Can't wait for part 3 when you get there. :-0)0
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Love, love, love your photos. That's awesome about the new job and your AA degree, too--you really are getting, ahem, "stuff" together.0
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OMG!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pictures!!! I couldn't stop smiling!!! What a great personality you must have!!! You have done so well and are looking FANTASTIC!!! Very inspiring!!! Can't wait to see how you look at goal!!!!! Take care of yourself!!!0
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Love the photos - great story and what is an AA degree?0
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Super fantastic!!! Congrats to you for working your booty off (literally)!!! Thanks a bunch for sharing and best wishes to you:drinker:0
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