The longest road

auticus

Someone showed me this app on my iPhone and I have found it tremendously useful. Like a lot of you, I have walked the road of the overweight and obese most of my adult life. Growing up, and in high school... I was an athlete. At 6'2, I weighed between 185-195 lbs and through the army I got up to about 220.

After the army I ballooned to 274 lbs in a matter of three months. It wasn't due to some medical reason or any crap like that. It was because I have a fondness for food and sugar. I gained 55 lbs in three months.

I saw a picture of myself at 274 lbs at a tournament that I attended and realized that my back had a gut. I was... to put it simply... disgusted. This was back about ten years ago.

I dropped weight to 245 and have since floated between 225 and 245... the roller coaster. I run, I play soccer, I fight in the SCA... but I cannot lose the weight.

Recently at 235 lbs I saw a picture of myself at a soccer game and saw that I look like a pregnant woman. All of the extra weight sits on my gut, which makes it hard to run and enjoy things like soccer etc.

Around spring I dropped down to 218 but once summer hits I find myself becoming more slothful and laying around at home. The weight of course quickly piled on and here I am July 1st at 242 lbs again.

There are other issues. When I was 26 years old I went to the doctor because I was having a hard time standing up (muscles felt atrophied). My blood sugar was 518!!

This is not an uncommon story, and the reason why I roller coaster is very simply my diet. 2000 calories a day is not a lot of food. And sometimes it can seem unfair that my thin friends put down double that and dont' really work out but stay thin. Sound familiar?

I have a buddy who is 6'7 and 175 lbs (rail thin) who puts down liters of Mountain Dew, eats a couple pizzas at a turn, and stays 175 lbs. He eats around 5000 calories a day. He is not extremely active.

That can annoy, especially when I am starving all day and then running my *kitten* off to stay under the calories for the day and watching as I lose a half a pound a week.

It definitely is a lifestyle change.

Exercise is mandatory. Strength training is mandatory.

This app has helped keep me accountable and I have tied it to my facebook account so everyone can see when I go off the road and either not exercise, or eat crap I shouldn't be eating.

Anyhow... my goal weight is 205 lbs. I haven't weighed less than 220 lbs in almost 15 years except for my brief stint this spring before falling off the ship. We will see how this goes.