One Year Later: 3,000 cans of Coke per year VS NO Soda for a
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hewhoiscd
Posts: 1,029 Member
Vital Stats: 6’2”, 72” wingspan, 34” inseam, frame size small to medium
Nothing special about me, other than I finally decided to commit. If you commit, then you can do it too.
A year ago today, a little before my 40th birthday, I looked at myself in the mirror after a shower and decided, NO MORE. I was tired of barely being able to put on my 36” relaxed fit jeans. I was tired of the simple act of tying my shoes being such a chore. I was tired of having to wear dark XL T-Shirts to disguise my gut. I was tired of needing a break after climbing up a flight of stairs. I was tired of wearing out before anyone else did. I was tired of not feeling like I could be at the pool without a shirt on. I was tired of being embarrassed about what I saw in the mirror. I was tired of being tired!
I remember as a Teenager and in my early 20’s, looking at the older adults around me and vowing to myself to never let my jean waist size be bigger than my inseam. My jean size at 20 years old was 30 to 32 and my inseam was 34 and I couldn’t conceive of even the remotest possibility that my waist would ever be larger than 34”! Well, my inseam has stayed the same…but 20 years later my waist size had grown to be 36” relaxed or 38” regular fit.
How did that happen? How did I get up to 210lbs? How did *I* let that happen? Neglect, that’s how. I hadn’t paid attention to my health and fitness, and it had obviously gone downhill over the previous 20 years. That day, one year ago from the time of this writing, I decided to take back control of my health and fitness. I was going to get rid of that gut! It wasn’t going to get any easier the longer I waited.
The obvious 1st step was to quit drinking Soda and Sweet Tea. I literally had been drinking 6 to 12 cans of Coke a day, been doing that for 15+ years. So, I decided NO MORE. Not even one. I knew from past attempts to cut down my habit that I might be able to get down to a few per day, but that it would just ramp back up again. I felt the only option for me was to just quit cold turkey. It worked. I haven’t had any soda (not even diet) or Sweet Tea or any caffeinated beverage, since then. The first 3 weeks was tough! But I did it ‘cause I finally realized I had to. It was either the coke or me…and I like me much better than any inanimate object, no matter how good it tasted or felt to drink
I also started what I called My Get Fit Plan. The 1st month I did light cardio (Wii Fit Plus), the 2nd month I did Wii Gold’s Gym Cardio (Boxing Cardio), then I did 3 months of P90X Lean and then 2 months of P90X Classic, then 1 month of intense cardio with the odd strength training thrown in once a week Early on I joined MFP, which was a huge part of my success. I also took vitamins and nutritional supplements of course. Eight months after I made the commitment, I reached my Goal weight of 170lbs. That’s 40 pounds in 8 months, or a little over a pound per week.
I floundered around for about a month trying to decide, “what now?” I kept making good choices with my food, and stayed active, but I basically cruised for a month trying to figure things out. I finally decided on a strength training program focusing on gaining muscle mass. I did that for a month, but I pushed myself too hard and tweaked my knee and left hip a bit, which scared me. I’m 40 years old, almost 41, not a 20 something any more, lol.
So, I then spent a month on light cardio and light strength training, while focusing on Yoga as well. Basically, trying to maintain where I was at while giving my body a chance to recover from all I had put it through. I was still making good food choices, and still maintaining between 170 and 175 lbs the entire time. After that month, I had gotten to the point where I felt I could try to ramp it up again.
For those keeping score, we are now 11 months in
So, for the 12th month (this past month), I have gone back into strength training mode, but focusing more on good form and technique. Doing total body workouts 3 days a week, and 20-25 minutes of interval cardio about 3 days a week, every now and then I throw in a Yoga X session. My routine is still evolving, and I’m sure it will never stop evolving.
Now here I am, one year later. I feel like a totally different person now. I often think of the time before last year as a past life. I find it hard now to believe that it was really me in those before pics! That’s why I keep looking at them, I don’t want to forget again the price of neglect.
I am currently at 168 pounds. Current goal is to lose still more of my body fat and gain more muscle mass.
Enough words! Here are some Then and Now pics
Nothing special about me, other than I finally decided to commit. If you commit, then you can do it too.
A year ago today, a little before my 40th birthday, I looked at myself in the mirror after a shower and decided, NO MORE. I was tired of barely being able to put on my 36” relaxed fit jeans. I was tired of the simple act of tying my shoes being such a chore. I was tired of having to wear dark XL T-Shirts to disguise my gut. I was tired of needing a break after climbing up a flight of stairs. I was tired of wearing out before anyone else did. I was tired of not feeling like I could be at the pool without a shirt on. I was tired of being embarrassed about what I saw in the mirror. I was tired of being tired!
I remember as a Teenager and in my early 20’s, looking at the older adults around me and vowing to myself to never let my jean waist size be bigger than my inseam. My jean size at 20 years old was 30 to 32 and my inseam was 34 and I couldn’t conceive of even the remotest possibility that my waist would ever be larger than 34”! Well, my inseam has stayed the same…but 20 years later my waist size had grown to be 36” relaxed or 38” regular fit.
How did that happen? How did I get up to 210lbs? How did *I* let that happen? Neglect, that’s how. I hadn’t paid attention to my health and fitness, and it had obviously gone downhill over the previous 20 years. That day, one year ago from the time of this writing, I decided to take back control of my health and fitness. I was going to get rid of that gut! It wasn’t going to get any easier the longer I waited.
The obvious 1st step was to quit drinking Soda and Sweet Tea. I literally had been drinking 6 to 12 cans of Coke a day, been doing that for 15+ years. So, I decided NO MORE. Not even one. I knew from past attempts to cut down my habit that I might be able to get down to a few per day, but that it would just ramp back up again. I felt the only option for me was to just quit cold turkey. It worked. I haven’t had any soda (not even diet) or Sweet Tea or any caffeinated beverage, since then. The first 3 weeks was tough! But I did it ‘cause I finally realized I had to. It was either the coke or me…and I like me much better than any inanimate object, no matter how good it tasted or felt to drink
I also started what I called My Get Fit Plan. The 1st month I did light cardio (Wii Fit Plus), the 2nd month I did Wii Gold’s Gym Cardio (Boxing Cardio), then I did 3 months of P90X Lean and then 2 months of P90X Classic, then 1 month of intense cardio with the odd strength training thrown in once a week Early on I joined MFP, which was a huge part of my success. I also took vitamins and nutritional supplements of course. Eight months after I made the commitment, I reached my Goal weight of 170lbs. That’s 40 pounds in 8 months, or a little over a pound per week.
I floundered around for about a month trying to decide, “what now?” I kept making good choices with my food, and stayed active, but I basically cruised for a month trying to figure things out. I finally decided on a strength training program focusing on gaining muscle mass. I did that for a month, but I pushed myself too hard and tweaked my knee and left hip a bit, which scared me. I’m 40 years old, almost 41, not a 20 something any more, lol.
So, I then spent a month on light cardio and light strength training, while focusing on Yoga as well. Basically, trying to maintain where I was at while giving my body a chance to recover from all I had put it through. I was still making good food choices, and still maintaining between 170 and 175 lbs the entire time. After that month, I had gotten to the point where I felt I could try to ramp it up again.
For those keeping score, we are now 11 months in
So, for the 12th month (this past month), I have gone back into strength training mode, but focusing more on good form and technique. Doing total body workouts 3 days a week, and 20-25 minutes of interval cardio about 3 days a week, every now and then I throw in a Yoga X session. My routine is still evolving, and I’m sure it will never stop evolving.
Now here I am, one year later. I feel like a totally different person now. I often think of the time before last year as a past life. I find it hard now to believe that it was really me in those before pics! That’s why I keep looking at them, I don’t want to forget again the price of neglect.
I am currently at 168 pounds. Current goal is to lose still more of my body fat and gain more muscle mass.
Enough words! Here are some Then and Now pics
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Replies
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That's EXCELLENT!
Go you - and you're still all toned after losing all that weight! Well done on such a major live change! You look so much healthier!0 -
way to go! you look great.0
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Is it wrong that I wanted to wolf whistle after seeing these pics? Anyway, you're amazing, but you already know it! (I hope so anyway.)
P.S. Cutting out soda and ridiculous amounts of fruit juice mixed with milk (I don't know, I'm a little weird) was my first step, too. Funny how all those liquid calories can add up. 0 -
Thanks all! :happy:
Any and all wolf whistles gratefully accepted :bigsmile: A year ago, the very idea that any wolf whistles might be directed my way would have been fantasy.Is it wrong that I wanted to wolf whistle after seeing these pics?......Anyway, you're amazing, but you already know it! (I hope so anyway.)
I'm still working on total acceptance of the idea
Was out of shape for so long, it's hard to break old habits. But I'm working on it, one reason I post pics is to try and make myself less body conscious and more willing to believe I'm no longer fat and completely out of shape. Although, I do know I can be in better shape, and for the rest of my life I will be working on being in the best shape I can be. 0 -
Great job!! I will be 40 in November and you are an inspiration!!0
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Great job, well done!
Replace coke with beer and that could have been me in that photo a year ago! Hope I get to where you are now.
Good luck with the next stage of your strength training.0 -
Fabulous job you have done. Kuddos!0
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Very inspiring. Sounds like the journey I am on (minus the coke to start with).
Congrats on the success, glad to see you looking at evolving forever 0 -
Thanks again everyone
It sounds cliche, but it is still true...If I can do it, then you can too 0 -
Wow! What an amazing transformation. You've worked hard and it shows!0
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Amazing! You can see how hard you've worked and those are my favorite stories. Nice job on quitting the soda for good too! I love that this wasn't a quick fix for you but a lifestyle change. You should be proud!0
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Chris--thank you so much for posting these pics and talking about your story! What an amazing accomplishment! And also talking about your journey w/maintaining is interesting. It doesn't stop when you lose weight, does it? Maintaining and improving ourselves further is such a huge part of the equation once we do finally make the commitment and achieve the 1st goal. That was my biggest surprise along the way, and the one that makes me scratch my head in confusion the most..... This is quite a journey, and hard, but so worth it!0
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Great job!!! Thanks for sharing your story. I have to say...going cold turkey on the soda is the only way to go. I, too, had to cut those cancer drinks about of my life cold turkey...(I did it in 2006) because if I had attempted to wean off of them, it just never would've happened. ;o) It makes me laugh when people say they "can't give up their diet coke". Like hell you can't!!! Realize what it is doing to you and freakin' DO IT! (Especially the diet crap with all the chemicals just making you want to eat more carbs and drink more diet soda...vicious cycle!) So CHEERS to you! Keep on keepin' on!!0
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Wonderful job! You look amazing! I too quit sodas in November 2009, lost gall bladder in Feb 2010, quit smoking March 2010, BFF died July 2010, gained even more (140) on my little frame, gave up sweet tea November 2010, still not smoking, slowly loosing, but at least no longer gaining! Man, It looks like I did a lot of quitting in 2010. I am trying to inspire my husband to join my journey to get healthier as well. He is the same size as you were. He does pay more attention to his choices in eating, now to get him to exercise.
Any suggestion welcome!0 -
Great job! And I love the manscaping! 0
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Proud of ya
Took me 10 yrs more than you to figure it out. I've never been as addicted to sodas as you were though, for me, I was an "equal opportunity" addict, sort of on the infamous "seefood diet". My mom always had a weight problem and had diet soda around the house when I was growing up, so I've never had a problem choosing diet soda, although I like the normal stuff too. Luckily I also enjoy a good cold glass of water. For "enjoyment" drinking I love this new Mio water enhancer stuff, bought a 6 pack (every flavor) off eBay recently.
Do you feel the Coke has been replaced somehow? What is your liquid of choice now?
I know the toughest part yet might be to keep from sliding back to old ways for you and me both, it really does have to a be truly life-altering thing, not just a "weight loss event".
I looked a lot worse than you when I started this journey, 234 (and was even higher a year ago, I was weighed in at the doc's office at 239 IIRC, I did mamage to be 234 this year) and 5'9". Right now I am maybe about like your "before" picture.
Gilly0 -
nicely done!!! You look like a completely difference person!!!0
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Wow! Amazing! Wolf whistles from here too! I'm just around the corner from 40 and athough I'm not stressed about turning 40 like some of my friends, I have been concerned about my health lately (doesn't you body seem to start falling apart at 40?) and joined MFP to lose some weight and be more accountable for what I'm eating. I'm really glad that you mentioned that your weight loss was about a pound a week. I'm so intimidated by people that lose so much every week when I'm just plodding along with my weight loss of 0.5-1 pound a week. Wishing you all the best! 0
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WTG Chris! You have been truly inspirational!0
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Great job Chris! You've worked hard and deserve it!0
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