Found some old pictures, absolutely disgusted

99clmsntgr

(Posted this on another forum, figured I'd share here, too)

August 2008. The picture that pseudo-started it. Me @ 340 pounds, fooling myself with the "well, I'm not that fat..." attitude. Uh...yeah I was.


Flash forward 2 years (there's not that many pictures of me. Really...). After 2 years of only half-serious dieting then the wife getting preggers with #2 which threw any real attempt at a diet out the window (bad, bad excuse, I know), here's last year's July 4th 5K @ 270-275 pounds. At the time I was giving a half-effort toward running, was struggling around a 11 minute mile for a 5K race, only slightly better for just a mile.


Flash forward one more year. Something in January clicked. I was stuck at 275 pounds, but my wife decided to lose the baby weight, which helped refocus me on fitness, I joined MFP and started religiously logging my food intake. Started working out more and started getting serious about running. Here's not-so-fat Jason at the July 4th 5K this year @ 210 pounds.


Yes, ran that at an 8:52 per mile. Just recently the Fitness Camp that is sponsored by my company's HR department finished up. As part of the camp you do a first week and last week mile time trial. I went from 8:22 to a 7:33 and finished 3rd in the camp (which is weird to me, by the way).

Friday morning I stepped on the scale before my 4.5 mile run and it said "203.4 pounds, 21.1% body fat." I don't remember when I last weighed this little. Probably 6th 7th grade. Along the way I've gone from a XXXL shirt to comfortably in an XL and on the verge of just a L. I've gone from 48-inch waist pants down to 34 inch waist. My blood pressure has dropped thru the floor, my cholesterol is low and I'm no longer on the watch for all the bad weight-related diseases. My knees and ankles don't hurt any more, I can do pushups again (although I still struggle with this one) and I can keep up with my kids. In October I'm running the second leg of the Disney half-marathon relay (8.33 miles) and in February I get to run with ~10,000 women (and about 2,000 men) at the Princess half-marathon. And, not sure if this is sad or not, I can't wait.

The only thing I wish is that I could go back in time, slap the **** out of high school and college Jason. I wish I understood then what I understand now about eating (not just how much, but what my body prefers for fuel), exercising and just how flat-out bad I was living my life.

alexoftroy

Fantastic! You look great!

edward1973

amazing story - well done - must feel almost like a different person. Think we all wish we could impart some wisdom to our younger selves to make better choices.

Good Man - keep it up!! :-D

kimbux

You look GREAT! I had the same attitude thinking 'I'm not THAT FAT!' You've just inspired me to get serious - THANK YOU!!

Nessiep

wow....!!!! comes to mind!

bflicker11

OMG!!!!! You are hot!! Awesome job!

Patchworkperson

Great story! You look amazing.

RachelSRoach1

Wonderful work! How inspiring!

KS_4691

In the second picture, the guy in the blue shirt directly behind you is my half sister's father. I participated in the race shown in the third picture (I was away at school last year so I couldn't participate). I would've been on the sidelines waiting for my sister when you crossed, but I don't see myself... Unrelated, but I won my age group for this race haha.

You're doing great btw!

djenvy

Congratulations

suzieduh

Amazing - you look like a completely different person :happy:

Morglem

No way! You look awesome and I'm sure you feel awesome too! Congratulations!!!

marianeo

You look amazing!! fantastic job!

LorinaLynn

What a wonderful, heartwarming story and INCREDIBLE transformation!!!

Kelly_Wilson1990

Excellent job! You look fantastic!!

tarazena

Wow- just amazing! Good for you that it clicked in! Your body must feel so amazing and fuctional! Eek..your first pics...sad that we try to convince ourselves that we are not "that fat". Pictures are great for that. You're a great Father showing your kids what living really is!

amycal

Wow this is a fantastic difference! You look like a new guy!

Mommawarrior

You lost a person! That is great! Good luck at your upcoming races!

shanefg

Well done mate amazing stuff

katmarsc

What a transformation. You need to know where to truly appreciate and be thankful for what you have accomplished. You set the goal to be healthy, and YOU DID IT. Very motivating for those who think this is just a quick fix. It is a life long dedication and commitment.

You Do a Body Good. !!!!

beth651

WOW!!! You look great.

strawn0830

Congratulations! You look great!

faith0828

Good job honey! I'm so proud of my husband You look great!

Pam3

congrats.....wonderful job keep it :flowerforyou:

BenKnowsFitness

good job, you've made a long term commitment and it has payed off big. 8 minute miles are no joke. Major props to you my friend.

I too wish I could go back and smack the old Ben who has gone from the high two's to the high one's five times since high school.

mmstgr

Thank you for sharing your story.
Every time I read/see something like this, it re-invigorates me

sandman13619

Great weight loss story. Congrats to you! You should feel extremely proud of your accomplishments. Take another photo sitting in that chair and put them side by side. It's amazing how we think we picture ourselves, until we see the photo. It was a photo that got Brenda and I losing as well.

44isthenew29

The only way I knew that the guy in the first pic was the same as the guy in the last pic was the tattoo on your arm. What an incredible transformation, and such an inspiration. Thanks for sharing your journey here. Your wife must be so proud of you!

wolf23

So happy that you finally "got it"...you look great and it is awesome that your family will have a daddy that is healthy and will be there for them! :drinker:

shellbell1993

Congrats and thanks for sharing your story to inspire us all to live our lives healthier and in shape!!!

jessilee119

Absolutely amazing!! You look great!!!