The long road to success - 100 pounds lost
mirthfuldragon
Posts: 124 Member
So, as of this morning, it's official - I've lost 100 pounds in 874 days. From 296 pounds as of May 9, 2010, to 195.6 pounds as of today, September 29, 2012. It's been 874 days, about 29 months, to get here. Despite setbacks (wedding, honeymoon, slacking), it still averages out to 3.5 pounds per month.
The reason I am posting this story is not for myself - to be just a bit arrogant, I know how far I've come, and how much work I put into this effort, and how much better I feel about myself. I'm probably getting a bit vain, but I'm sure my lovely and supporting wife will keep me in check.
I am posting this story for everyone else - it can be done, and it takes time. I went from 1,400 calorie lunches and three Coca-colas per day to 400 calorie lunches, and I have not bought a bottle of soda into my house for well over a year. I still have one occasionally, like anything, but thinking of what I was doing three years ago just, honestly, disgusts me - what I was doing to my body, to my life.
I am an attorney and I work in firm with many other attorneys. A few months ago I met with some clients who I had met with originally in early 2009. When I finished meeting with them, I gave them my business card, and they did a double-take - it had not registered with them that I was the same person (or, rather, 2/3 of the same person) that I had been two and a half years before. They did not recognize me at all.
My original goal was a 40" waist and 230 pounds. The last pair of jeans I bought were 36" waist, and my current weight goal is 180 ( or less) - I am vain enough to want a six pack, and that means getting my body fat percentage down another 6 or 8 points. The amusing thing is that I was in the best shape of my life at 230, and every day since then I just keep getting faster and stronger.
Today, when I touch my toes, I put my palms flat on the floor. I am on day 46 of P90x, and once that is finished I am going to start training (yes, me training - myself from three years ago stares into the future with incredulity) for the Chicago triathlon, Olympic distance.
To those folks out there who are struggling - I know how rough it is. I've been there, and it sucks. Success is out there - one day at a time, day after day. For me, today is day 874. It's a long road, but worth the trip.
The reason I am posting this story is not for myself - to be just a bit arrogant, I know how far I've come, and how much work I put into this effort, and how much better I feel about myself. I'm probably getting a bit vain, but I'm sure my lovely and supporting wife will keep me in check.
I am posting this story for everyone else - it can be done, and it takes time. I went from 1,400 calorie lunches and three Coca-colas per day to 400 calorie lunches, and I have not bought a bottle of soda into my house for well over a year. I still have one occasionally, like anything, but thinking of what I was doing three years ago just, honestly, disgusts me - what I was doing to my body, to my life.
I am an attorney and I work in firm with many other attorneys. A few months ago I met with some clients who I had met with originally in early 2009. When I finished meeting with them, I gave them my business card, and they did a double-take - it had not registered with them that I was the same person (or, rather, 2/3 of the same person) that I had been two and a half years before. They did not recognize me at all.
My original goal was a 40" waist and 230 pounds. The last pair of jeans I bought were 36" waist, and my current weight goal is 180 ( or less) - I am vain enough to want a six pack, and that means getting my body fat percentage down another 6 or 8 points. The amusing thing is that I was in the best shape of my life at 230, and every day since then I just keep getting faster and stronger.
Today, when I touch my toes, I put my palms flat on the floor. I am on day 46 of P90x, and once that is finished I am going to start training (yes, me training - myself from three years ago stares into the future with incredulity) for the Chicago triathlon, Olympic distance.
To those folks out there who are struggling - I know how rough it is. I've been there, and it sucks. Success is out there - one day at a time, day after day. For me, today is day 874. It's a long road, but worth the trip.
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Replies
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Congratulations!0
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That really is wonderful. I bet you've made your wife very happy and proud too.0
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Congratulations!! this is amazing...keep going!1
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Great inspiration and a testimony to this being NOT a diet but a lifestyle change. Thanks for posting your story2
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wow, you are an inspiration to us all but it shows that it can be done. thankyou for posting this as it spurs me on to continue with the fight. thankyou0
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Awesome, awesome story!! You are a great source of inspiration!! Congrats on your success!!0
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Congratulations on your success! Just like everything else, it takes time, patience and a lot of hard work to achieve what you set your mind to.0
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Thank you for the post. This is a very inspirational story. I ready your story and really see a lot about myself. Thanks again!!!0
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Welcome to the 100 pounds off club! Good luck with your tri training.0
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Wonderful story! You are an inspiration. Congratulations.0
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What a fantastic effort! Congratulations! Thanks so much for sharing your story, it's reading stories like this that are making me feel like I CAN do it and are keeping me motivated
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Well done thats fantastic0
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Brilliant, congratulations 0
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You are amazing! Thanks for the story! It really helps to hear the success stories. It motivates and makes me smile thinking I know I will get there some day in the near future. Have an awesome day!1
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i dont usually write on success stories, they are all so wonderful, but something about yours hit a chord with me! Well done Excellent achievement!0
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Thanks for sharing your story and inspiring me and many others!!! Congrats and keep up the great work!!! 1
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Im inspired to take my life too a day at a time - though all the negative thoughts that flow through me. Thanks for sharing0
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A huge congratulations for reclaiming your life. And, many thanks for taking the time to post. It's a great inspiration to me.0
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Congrats! It's an amazing achievement!1
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Hats off to you. You did it! And, a job well done too. :happy:0
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Congratulations! Thanks for posting!0
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Great loss well done0
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Very inspirational and gives me hope considering I have only been in this lifestyle change for the last 65 days. Good Job!!0
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Thanks so much for posting your story--so inspiring! And congratulations, too!0
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Congratulations on your success! You've really turned your life around.0
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It has been over five years since I wrote the first post, and I am still a member of the 100# club. Five long years. In that time, I have ran a marathon, completed two Iron-distance triathlons, and completed over a dozen other races. I did it, I am a success story. Hurrah! Right . . .?
It still feels just as hard now as it did then. I still want to eat the same bad foods, I still look to food for comfort and happiness, and I am afraid of falling back to where I was. In some ways, it feels harder, because I do not get to see the scale go down and I do not get to buy new clothes. The reward for eating right and exercising is . . . more eating right and exercise. The excess belly skin really, really frustrates me, and there is nothing short of surgery that is going to fix it.
In a lot of ways, I wonder what it would have been like to not lose the weight, to stay the same fat guy I used to be. In a lot of ways I might have been happier had I stayed fat. I absolutely hate the person I was, and I get to spend the rest of my life running away from that - often literally.
It never ends, and it is exhausting to think about. The habits become ingrained after a while, and it becomes a little easier, a little more automatic, but it still takes work. I didn't get to 296# simply because I ate too much - I had and still have an unhealthy relationship with food. Coming to terms with that has been hard, and controlling it harder.
There are benefits - my resting heart rate hovers in the high 40s now, from almost 80 before. My cholesterol numbers are fantastic, my blood pressure is at the bottom of the chart, and I can buy clothes anywhere (though mediums never fit right and larges are always too big). My life expectancy has increased by over a decade.
I am not really sure what I am trying to say - success, and long term success, is possible, but it is hard, and for me at least, the process never ends.15 -
That was a very eye opening read! Congrats on getting the weight off and finding maintanence for 5 years! Your take on maintanence is refreshing in that the journey never really ends and it is truly a lifestyle change.
What did you eat for calories while dropping the weight and what do you eat now for calories to maintain?
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Thanks for in insight on maintenance. I guess that's why so many people are Yo-Yo dieters.
It shows what a strong will you have to manage this for so long and I'm in awe at your dedication. Very well done.0 -
Wow, really interesting update. I have been battling the same 30lbs for 5 years now so I'm extremely impressed at your ability to keep it off. One of these days I hope to reach my goal (another 60lbs) and fight the fierce battle of maintenance. I can completely appreciate and respect the struggle. I hope to one day be in your shoes. Thanks for sharing.0
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doingitforcckandi wrote: »...] finding maintanence for 5 years! [...] What did you eat for calories while dropping the weight and what do you eat now for calories to maintain?
Honestly I would say I have never been on maintenance, whatever that means. My race weight in September 2016 was 170#, which is unsustainable in any real sense. Since then my weight has been relatively stable but I'm still not happy at 190ish; my "hero" jeans still sit, folded, taunting me. My running pace is 0:45 to 1:15 slower than where I was; not keeping at least the running up is hard to accept, and harder to let go.
At peak training my nutrition was around 1500 base plus workout calories (which is right at BMR at 170# and 6'2" and factoring in a 15% reduction for being formerly fat and the overall metabolic efficiency at that level of training). Over the last year, the average is more around 2,300 daily, give or take. Not surprising - I workout a little and try to stay mostly active, and try to eat decently.0
This discussion has been closed.
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