80lbs so far

staubng

My name is Neil. Here's a quick rundown of my last few years.

I'm about half way on a journey I started in 2008. At 347 lbs while 5'10", I felt I was taking a turn for worse health wise. I started working out with my then-wife. In 4 months I got to 318lbs. She left me for a fatter man, ironically, in the 5th month.

This compelled me to work harder. I trained by simply walking until June of 2009, I walked the Hood To Coast on my own. (Mt. Hood OR to Seaside OR, 140 miles). I lost 80 lbs and took up a job in Phoenix in August of 2009.

Arriving in Phoenix, I weighed 267 lbs. As a phone salesman for Quicken Loans, I worked long, sedentary hours. I regained weight, stopping at 300 lbs. In 4 months, I'd regained 33lbs. Still 50 pounds less than a year and half earlier, I wrangled my upward trend and stabilized my diet.

I lost my job in January 2011, so I became a full time professional musician. After a year and a quarter, I was ready to take my honed skill to a place where I could play outside year round.

I moved to Hawaii May 5 of 2012. I started at 307lbs when I landed. I needed a roof, so I painted my friend's soon-to-be house and did laminate wood flooring. The hours were between 8-10 hrs per day, sometimes longer, for a month. My longest day was the day before his move in. I was doing finishing touches for 17 hours straight. I dropped to 295, give or take a pound or two. When that job concluded, I resumed my walking regimen. My brother moved out to Hawaii in June, where we took the walking in a cooperative, yet competitive fashion. As I type this, I'm about one pound shy of when I landed in Phoenix, at 267.6 lbs. One more pound and I'll have lost 40lbs from May 2012 - August 2012. I've just fallen in the last few weeks out of Morbid Obesity into Obesity. I've got 58 lbs to go to just be deemed over weight, and from there I'll reassess if I want to hone my body to become fully fit. At this stage, I'd be fine plateauing below 200, but I may get more zealous later on. I haven't been below 200lbs since I was 14 years old.

Here is a quick before and after. As I approach my goal weight, I'll post more of the "Along the way" photos.

love22step

Eighty pounds is a lot! I can barely lift an 80-lb. bag of concrete mix. Your persistence is paying off. Now that you've gotten in a lot of walking, have you thought about trying C25K and picking up the pace? I like running because I can cover more distance faster.

staubng

My hips have degenerated from years of carrying a large frame. That and I was in an auto accident last year which makes my back touchy. Though my back has gotten much better as I've dropped the 40 lbs and strengthened the muscles to support it, my hips pop in and out even on 4.5 mph brisk walks. It's manageable when I'm walking at that speed, but if I'm running and my hip pops out, I'm on the ground. I have slightly increased the instances of Jogging, but usually play it by feel.

I may be more inclined to run as I lose more and gain more muscle mass, but in my current condition, I usually just play that one safe. Built for comfort, not for speed, I guess. Besides. No need to rush the scenery in Hawaii. haha. It's nice to go for an hour walk at 4 mph as opposed to running and being done in half the time.

jackieatx

Not only am I impressed that you have dropped weight, I am impressed that you did hard labor while morbidly obese. That takes a lot of strength and you could have just sat on your bum, but you didn't. And even more impressive is that you followed your dream to become a musician! Sounds like good things are in store for you, keep up the great work!

ShaunMc1968

Doing great buddy - keep it up and what a helluva place to get fit !!

bazfitness

Cool. Really admire your perseverance and patience. This is a great site imo if used wisely. You can learn a lot here - requires a bit of filtering the good stuff from the ahem not so good stuff and patience and determination which you seem to have.

MDamoun

I am not sure if you are already doing it; keeping the milage same try to add tracks with slopes in your route which are slightly or moderately challenging to you. Adding routes with challenges increase endurance and burn more calories.

Did I mentioned you are doing great an I am impressed with your achievements?

Reaching your goal is all possible just keep pushing you can do it!

jerbear1962

It is great that you got back on track and lost the weight over again. What an accomplishment. I'm down 30 pounds this time and I feel great I can only imagine what I will feel like with 50 more....I have a long way to go somewhere around 140. Keep at it and feel free to add me as a friend.

foochick

I dig that TOOL shirt!

Alohathin

Doing great buddy - keep it up and what a helluva place to get fit !!

Indeed it is. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to come out here and join him.

Oh, and on my weightloss ticker bar, that's a picture of Neil on top of hardened lava flow from Kilauea on the Big Island. I thought it was an appropriate picture, representing us reaching the top. heh.

staubng

Wow, thanks for all the responses. Just this morning I reached 266.2, which is .8 pounds less than I've been since somewhere around 2004.

I just wanted people to get a chance to see that you've got to tackle your problem in stages, just like everything else in life. Emotions, relationships, self affirmation and habits all determine your weight. A person who looks at someone lose 80 pounds to their ideal weight might say "I've got so much more to lose than that". It just makes your victory taste that much sweeter. My battle is a battle over 190 lbs, all together. If you were to tell the average person "I lost 45 lbs" They'd be stoked for you. (Or jealous ) For anyone morbidly obese, you'll be surprised how simple 45 pounds is to lose. We got a couple of em in there! Each time you hit 45 lbs, a commendable milestone no doubt, get away to yourself for a while. Go on solo walks. Ride a bike. Go to the beach. Get away where its just you and your thoughts and ask yourself "What's it going to take to get the next 45?" Weigh it against your emotional assumptions, the support of your relationships, your self image, the habits you'll need to make and break, and mark that down as what it takes to get your next goal weight. If any or all of the four give you a burden that is greater than the 5th, make sure you're at peace with yourself for changing your focus back to them. I did that when I moved to Phoenix. for 2 and a half years. And there were many worthwhile aspects of it. But since the only thing we can't get back whether we work out or not is our time, don't give each of the other four an indefinite time frame. Your next weight goal accrues interest in time like a deferred loan. It's still going to be there until you pay it off.

347 - 300 Phase 1 My weight cost me a marriage. But today I'm alive and I lead a wonderful life. Worth it? Yes.
300 - 255 Phase 2 My weight cost me a great relationship. But today, I know my personal value. Worth it? Yes.
255 - 210 Phase 3 My weight will cost me music publicity. But when I'm done, I'll look as good as I sound. Worth it? It probably will be.
210 - 175 Phase 4 My weight will cost me a date with Jessica Alba. But when I'm done. It will be Jessica Staub. Worth it?

"You can reach your goals. I'm living proof. Beefcake" ~ Eric Cartman

Neil

staubng

Not only am I impressed that you have dropped weight, I am impressed that you did hard labor while morbidly obese. That takes a lot of strength and you could have just sat on your bum, but you didn't. And even more impressive is that you followed your dream to become a musician! Sounds like good things are in store for you, keep up the great work!

Thanks for that. Note, I dropped only 12 pounds with that work, but the inches are really what were noticeable. That same Tool shirt (I love it as much as a measuring device as a great tribute to Maynard and his awesomness) is now loose fitting. I'm surprised I used to wear it in public based off the old pics. But the definition in my arms, legs, and jaw were the first things to come in to focus. That was some hard f'ing work man. But with plenty of pain meds (of the green variety) and a month to get it all done, tackling it one project at a time lets you look back at the end while scratching your head and thinking "how bout that". It's always more impressive to contemplate the amount of work it is than it is to actually do it. amarite?

staubng

Cool. Really admire your perseverance and patience. This is a great site imo if used wisely. You can learn a lot here - requires a bit of filtering the good stuff from the ahem not so good stuff and patience and determination which you seem to have.

Right? For my fanatical bretheren, it doesn't take the powers that be to lose weight. Unless that's power level 9 that you keep letting be on the treadmill.