Anyone in The Republic of Panama

betoarango

HI I'm Beto I live in Panama City, Republic of Panama, where it`s sunny and warm all year round. It is a great place to live. Spanish is my native language so feel free to speak it if it is easier for you.
Panama is also a great place to eat. Panamanian cusine is spectacular, and international restaurants are world class..this when combined with my sweet tooth and cravings is ...catastrophic..

At around 18-20 i discovered I'm a sugar addict and once i taste sugar i tend to overeat. As long as i have NO refined sugar Im an energetic happy person, with no cravings and who forgets to eat sometimes. I eat a spoonful of sugar/candy/icecream/chocolate and have lessened willpower and horrible cravings, and cannot stop thinking about sweets, eat a cup of icecream/milkshake/complete chocolate bar and I'm out of control, and destroying my diet is just a matter of time.... Sadly brown rice and potatoes and other "safer" carbohydrates give me the same effect. This was no problem during college and my late 20`s as i generally like to excercise and go to the gym, so I was never the chubby kid but never the one with the abs either. However I was always concious of the fact that I had to eat lesser portions and go to the gym more often than most of my friends. I found out very early on that the only way to keep/loose weight was a zero sugar very low carb diet. It made me feel great alert and absolutely no cravings, however not drinking or going out partiing during my 20's was not an option for any lenght of time so the diet went on and off with mixed results, so went it till I was around 32, however with continuous increases in weight. One day I woke up and was at my max at 245lbs. I got serious and over the next 8 months lost 40 lbs on the Atkins Diet (for the first time not on and off but seriously done). I worked out and looked quite well. However the last two years have been difficult at work, changes in legislation, client bankrupcies, and a huge fire in one of our warehouses last April made this a survival situation for the company. I sort of excused my eating out, lack of excercise and cravings on this basis.

Over roughly the last two years I ate pretty much what I wanted, and stopped going to the gym, and gained 36 pounds over my not quite skinny 200. Also lost all my cardio endurance and am tired all day long. 40 is the new 30´s. Not quite.
Also I feel my lack of endurance, and Intensity was not only aparent in my job but also in the quality of time I spend with my children and of course my sex life, which sucks cause my wife is a really hot lady.

So two weeks ago I went out to buy pants ,and Ive always been 34 waist, and it seems the 34 waists are comming in smaller cause I cant get into any of them. Not a single one, even the ones that say baggy on them... The 36s fit tight and Im forced to buy 36 waist and go home. On the way home I realize ive been 34 since I was 25 years old. In college and senior year in highschool was 32... I realize this cannot be a good thing, I realize i feel miserable very often and crave food all day long. I realize I want to have a great time with my kids, I want to live till I`m 78 (average in my family), I want to bust out at work creating awesome resuts, and I want to have great sex, and that is not going to happen at 235 lbs wearing 36 jeans and tired and sleepy all day long.

So last monday I started with my Atkins induction diet, had a horrible first 3 days, as my lazy body said give me back my drug, and I said nope you can´t have any sugar, my body retaliated by giving me a horrible headache all day thursday, but gave in by friday. Saturday was OK Sunday was better and I woke up today feeling better than Ive felt in 2 years. Hellweek is over, Im feeling energetic, clear minded and in a great mood. I worked out downstairs this morning (and although i`ll be in pain tomorrow) feel great. Things at work are getting back on track, and I realize that If i'm going to finish turning around my company I really need to have the energy and intensity to do it.

Ive joined this website in an effort to commit to a healthier lower weight and much more active lifestyle in a lifelong manner. I dont need to be healthy all my life, just be healthy today...

I`ve posted pictures of me and will continue to update them every 2 weeks trying to keep the same pose so as to evaluate the results. Ive taken my measurements and had my blood tests done to insure my diet not only makes me look healthier but makes me healthier.

I`d like to have a few friends that will be open minded and supportive of my low carb/Atkins approach to dieting, and who might contribute with ideas/recepies/encouragement/constructive criticism to help make this a lifetime success, and for whom I might do the same. I'm not new to dieting and previously lost 40 lbs, albeit just to gain them back 2 years later...
My goal is to end up at my senior college weight of 190 lbs by October 2013 and keep around this weight.