Back disability, obesity & road to health

Xootneg

October 29, 2013

This is a tremendous success story I wanted to share in the hopes that it will help somebody in a similar medical condition that I had found myself in. I will turn 60 in 4 days.

I have been completely disabled for over 10 years with extreme low back pain. I had disc surgery 20 years ago at age 40. That got me 10 years more of a pretty normal working life, besides the fact of not being able to lift 10 pounds or more without extreme pain. At age 50 my back went completely out, again. This time there was no surgery fix, leaving me bed ridden for over the next 10 years. I had a very hard time walking at all, and had to use a cane.

I am 5' 11 1/4 and weighed about 250 at age 50. Over the next 9 years to age 59 I gainat least another 50 pounds. Although I was too embarrased to step on the scale to verify my weight, I knew I was well over 300 pounds. Due to my disability I had given up on my body! I had come to a realization that I would always remain obese for the rest of my life. Every morsel I ate seemed to turn directly into fat, due to near zero exersize. I did try to get up every few hours to slowly walk around for 15 minutes or so.

It is extremely hard for most to understand just how bad a body in this condition really is. Very dangerous, actually! Even going to the bathroom could leave me breathless. Going to the mailbox would leave my faintish and gasping for air with profuse sweating. Stamina was absolutely zero, and I am not exaggerating. It is one thing when you are horribly obese and quite another when you are horribly obese and bedridden, both. This is a condition few can relate to in its severity.

A year ago in September I started taking a suppliment called Factor #1 that was recommended by a good friend. It was suppose to really help my immune system with a great weight loss benefit. I was already taking several vitimins every day so what's just 1 more teaspoon of specialherbs a day. In early February 2013, my brother came by for a visit. He said "have you lost weight? You look thinner". This statement really surprised me. I had not changed my diet or did any exersises at all. I answered, "not that I know of". After he left I went to weigh myself for the first time in a decade. To my surprise I weighed 234! I had lost over 70 pounds and didn't even notice it, nor had my wife of 40 years. I was not in the habit of inspecting my body. Quite the opposite, I ignored it. I still felt the exact same, FAT. This motivated me however, more than at any other time in my life. I was just thrilled, and thought it had to be from taking the Factor #1 (www.lifestylesbyrichway.com/factor1.php). My life is SO simple, it was easy to know that this was the ONLY thing I had done differently in 10 years.

At that same time I promised myself to get into the best shape possible by my 60th birthday. Although I really didn't think I would lose much more weight. I just wanted to get all the body parts that still worked normally to be in the best shape possible. This included my neck, chest, shoulders, upper arms, lower arms, legs and thighs.

Always taking my cane along, I started walking laps around my swimming pool. Just around 5 laps twice a day at first. I did this every single day, 7 days a week and slowly built up more and more laps over the following months. After a couple months I decided to lose the cane and started doing my laps without it from then on. There were several hurdles I had to cross in order to advance. The hardest of which was feeling just awful anytime I got any cardio going at all. This is a HUGE wall to cross, but I kept chipping away at it. I also started lifting dumb bells in bed, VERY carefully.

Zooming ahead to today, I now weigh 178 and have ripped arms, legs, shoulders and neck. I still have a VERY bad back but have learned how to better work around it. Today I walk 1 mile a day (1/2 mile per walk), spin another 5 miles a day and lift dumbbells 3 times a week. I now look and feel GREAT!. My overall goal is 165. Just another 13 pounds. Right now my BMI is 24 and healthy, but I just want to get to my absolute perfect weight and I feel that is 165.

My hope is this will help to motivate the disabled and obese. You CAN do it, and actually get fit! I did...

glenelliott5872

An inspiration to all people with disability or no disability. Thanks

paulandrachelk

Thank Xootneg-both my husband and I have back issues though not as serious as yours. It IS a struggle to keep going but I have lost 10 lbs in hopes that it will help. At 71 I keep trying to move (exercise or major activity) extra each day and feel better in the long run. Keep it up-you are my inspiration.

R