One year down.
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SpeSHul_SnoflEHk
Posts: 6,256 Member
I'm hesitant to post this in success stories. I don't see myself having achieved success yet. I still have a ways to go before I can transition to maintenance mode. However, I have come a long way in the last year. I tend to be a storyteller, and my posts can get long. So, I promised myself I would keep the forum post to a very brief synopsis to prevent people from coming in and saying TL; DR.
I was at my mother’s house on April 8th, 2012 (Easter Sunday). I realized I had hit a new low. I sat and reflected. In the years that I had graduated from my nursing program, I realized I had gotten out of hand. I weighed myself: 280 pounds. I thought of how I couldn’t stand to see myself in pictures anymore. When I had to have a picture taken, I always positioned one of the kids in such a way, that I couldn’t see my belly. I had one pair of jeans that I could squeeze into, and that was work. They were 46x30. All of my XXL t-shirts were now fitting very tightly, and my belly would peek out of the bottom more frequently than not. My dress shirts with an 18.5 inch neck could not even come close to having the top button buttoned. My ties only came to half way up my belly. My expandable dress pants with the elastic expansion in the waist were stretched to the maximum.
My health was being affected in some ways. I couldn’t sleep at night. When I did sleep, it was only by laying on my face. If I slept in any other position, I would snore and wake myself up, I would wake up with pain from the weight putting pressure on my joints, or my diaphragm could not effectively move for me to feel like I was getting enough oxygen. I needed 3 pillows to sit up in bed, or I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I could not sit upright on the floor because I couldn’t’ breathe, or the fat would push me back. I had constant back pain, and felt like I might have been developing a pressure ulcer on my sacrum. My feet constantly ached, and the bones creaked and snapped when I walked.
I had lost my ability to complete my own ADLs. It had been year since I was able to reach my toes. I couldn’t clasp my hands behind my back. My flexibility was shot. I had to have someone else clip my toenails. When I bent to tie my shoes, I couldn’t breathe because my diaphragm was immobilized against the crushing weight of my flab. I would tie one, and rest for a few minutes to catch my breath, and then tie the other. I had to tie them with my fingers outstretched as far as I could just to get to the laces. I had some of my employees offering to tie my shoes for me. When I went to the bathroom, even wiping my own backside was nearly impossible. I couldn’t reach around. I had to use giant wads of toilet paper to get it. That was embarrassing.
So, here I sit at my one year anniversary of the beginning of my hitting rock bottom. I am currently sitting at 195 pounds. That’s 85 pounds down in one year. As I reflect on all the things that have changed in my life over the last year, I am happy with what has happened. My fitness level has increased overall. While I am still technically obese per BMI, I feel a lot better. I can sit upright on the floor and breathe. I can reach behind myself and wash my back. I can wipe my backside without a problem. I can run 3.5 miles on a treadmill at 5.5 MPH without getting winded. I can work an arc trainer or treadmill for 60 minutes at a time. I can swim breaststroke indefinitely without getting winded. I can reach my toes and clip my toenails and tie my own shoes. I can sleep on my back and on my side without waking myself from pain or snoring. People I haven’t seen in 8 months don’t even recognize me, and have to ask who I am. I have gone from needing to wear XXXL shirts and scrubs to wearing larges (I need a medium in my swimsuit now). My neck has lost over 3 inches, my waist 8 inches. I am not done yet.
Like I said above, this is just the abstract. If you are really interested in my whole story, you can view it here (you can view it if you aren't interested too I guess):
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/SpeSHul_SnoflEHk/view/there-and-back-how-i-got-there-and-reflections-on-the-last-year-s-work-515861
I was at my mother’s house on April 8th, 2012 (Easter Sunday). I realized I had hit a new low. I sat and reflected. In the years that I had graduated from my nursing program, I realized I had gotten out of hand. I weighed myself: 280 pounds. I thought of how I couldn’t stand to see myself in pictures anymore. When I had to have a picture taken, I always positioned one of the kids in such a way, that I couldn’t see my belly. I had one pair of jeans that I could squeeze into, and that was work. They were 46x30. All of my XXL t-shirts were now fitting very tightly, and my belly would peek out of the bottom more frequently than not. My dress shirts with an 18.5 inch neck could not even come close to having the top button buttoned. My ties only came to half way up my belly. My expandable dress pants with the elastic expansion in the waist were stretched to the maximum.
My health was being affected in some ways. I couldn’t sleep at night. When I did sleep, it was only by laying on my face. If I slept in any other position, I would snore and wake myself up, I would wake up with pain from the weight putting pressure on my joints, or my diaphragm could not effectively move for me to feel like I was getting enough oxygen. I needed 3 pillows to sit up in bed, or I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I could not sit upright on the floor because I couldn’t’ breathe, or the fat would push me back. I had constant back pain, and felt like I might have been developing a pressure ulcer on my sacrum. My feet constantly ached, and the bones creaked and snapped when I walked.
I had lost my ability to complete my own ADLs. It had been year since I was able to reach my toes. I couldn’t clasp my hands behind my back. My flexibility was shot. I had to have someone else clip my toenails. When I bent to tie my shoes, I couldn’t breathe because my diaphragm was immobilized against the crushing weight of my flab. I would tie one, and rest for a few minutes to catch my breath, and then tie the other. I had to tie them with my fingers outstretched as far as I could just to get to the laces. I had some of my employees offering to tie my shoes for me. When I went to the bathroom, even wiping my own backside was nearly impossible. I couldn’t reach around. I had to use giant wads of toilet paper to get it. That was embarrassing.
So, here I sit at my one year anniversary of the beginning of my hitting rock bottom. I am currently sitting at 195 pounds. That’s 85 pounds down in one year. As I reflect on all the things that have changed in my life over the last year, I am happy with what has happened. My fitness level has increased overall. While I am still technically obese per BMI, I feel a lot better. I can sit upright on the floor and breathe. I can reach behind myself and wash my back. I can wipe my backside without a problem. I can run 3.5 miles on a treadmill at 5.5 MPH without getting winded. I can work an arc trainer or treadmill for 60 minutes at a time. I can swim breaststroke indefinitely without getting winded. I can reach my toes and clip my toenails and tie my own shoes. I can sleep on my back and on my side without waking myself from pain or snoring. People I haven’t seen in 8 months don’t even recognize me, and have to ask who I am. I have gone from needing to wear XXXL shirts and scrubs to wearing larges (I need a medium in my swimsuit now). My neck has lost over 3 inches, my waist 8 inches. I am not done yet.
Like I said above, this is just the abstract. If you are really interested in my whole story, you can view it here (you can view it if you aren't interested too I guess):
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/SpeSHul_SnoflEHk/view/there-and-back-how-i-got-there-and-reflections-on-the-last-year-s-work-515861
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Replies
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This absolutely belongs in the success stories. Just because you're not done doesn't mean what you have done doesn't deserve tremendous credit! But, pictures! pictures!
Great job, Kev! (I love reading this stuff, especially when i actually am friends with the OP!)0 -
Wow, fantastic progress, and concrete!!!! Congratulations!0
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Thats a success and Im glad you are continueing your journey .I hope in one year I can say similar things about my own goals.0
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You are doing awesome, BB! I am so happy for you and all your success. :smooched: :smooched: :smooched: :smooched: :smooched:0
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Pics! Stand in your old clothes if you don't have any!0
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Pics! Stand in your old clothes if you don't have any!
Yeah. I plan to get the pics in the next couple of days. I couldn't get the camera door to open to get the card out. As for the old clothes pics, I planned to have that done yesterday, but couldn't get anyone to take a pic for me. I'm hopin gto get those taken tonight, and then a trip to the goodwill to say good bye.0 -
Oh My Kevin. That could have been my story. I am so proud of you! You are an amazing mana nd an inspiration to everyone else who is still working so hard everyday just to get to the point you are at! Oh, and you look yummy! Muah!
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I'm so proud of you, Kevin... You are amazing and I'm so happy for you darlin
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This absolutely belongs in the success stories. Just because you're not done doesn't mean what you have done doesn't deserve tremendous credit! But, pictures! pictures!
Great job, Kev! (I love reading this stuff, especially when i actually am friends with the OP!)0 -
I think you're wildly successful. I may be biased, but I'm pretty sure my innate *****iness cancels that out, so it must be true. :drinker:0
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Thanks for all your comments. It is kind of nice to see over 10 years of improper living erased in a year. I appreacite all of what you have said.0
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85 pounds down in a year? That's a major success, my friend, I don't care where one started! Congratulations!0
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Good for you. Thanks for sharing.0
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AMAZING WORK!!!! WAY TO GO!!!!! You are such a inspiration!!!!! Keep up the amazing work!!! Thanks for sharing YOUR SUCCESS STORY!!! 0
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I'll take your picture....0
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This belongs in the success stories for sure! Fantastic work! :flowerforyou:0
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6 months ago my husband (MasterZillah) could have written this almost verbatim (except he was 310 and is down to 258), so I have lived with how you felt. I can only guess that your attitude has done a 180 like his has. He too has stopped snoring and is down from a 46/30 and and the XXXL shirts look like dresses on him now. It has been such a joy to watch his transformation, so I'm sure it has been for the people in your life as well. I'm so so so very proud of you for owning the situation and having the perseverance to continue to better your life. *hugs*0
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You can tell a story! Congrats!
There's no holding you back? What is your goal for the next year?0 -
You can tell a story! Congrats!
There's no holding you back? What is your goal for the next year?
I would like to get to 170ish and see where I am at. According to the charts and calcs, I should be 165ish.0 -
Damn, that's some impressive weight loss right there. Great job man.0
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