Not the chubby guy any more

sam_gamgee
sam_gamgee Posts: 138 Member
in Success Stories
I've pretty much always been a bit on the chubby side. Runs in the family. It's just the way I am. I kept it mostly under control (I thought) and was happy the way I was (I thought).

Yesterday marked one year since I decided to start a 10 week weight loss challenge, after I saw a pic of myself from early Jan 2012 and thought "sheesh that pic makes me look fat" ... then looked at some others and realised that it wasn't the pic, it was me. I did some reading and found that keeping a food diary can be a big factor in losing weight - which is how I found MFP. I lost 12.6kg (28 lb) in that first 10 week challenge, and didn't look back - just kept resetting my own personal 10 week challenges each time the old one finished. I still am.

Some stats:
- I'm 40 years old, about 177cm (5ft 10in) tall
- lost almost 35kg (76 lb), started at about 114kg (251 lb), now just over 79kg (175lb).
- jeans have gone from 42in/107cm waist to 32in/82cm.
- would have struggled to run 500m then, regularly do 10km+ now.
- only been this weight once before in my adult life, in early 1991 when I had just turned 18.
- from mid 1992 to mid 2012 I was over 90kg (basically 200 lb+).
- all of 1996 to 2011 inclusive I was 100kg+ (220 lb+), maxing out at about 117kg (258 lb).

Thanks to my wife Julie who has put up with me asking for the details for just about anything she's cooked in the past year so I can log the calories, and for eating her icecream (mostly) when I was out running. :-)

I still have a bit of work to do, but I'm pretty proud of how far I've come. This isn't something that stops - from now on, being healthy is a lifelong work in progress.

Before and after ... the pic from Jan 2012 that started it all, and one taken yesterday morning.
73783_10151269383912956_1145848417_n.jpg

And no shirt at 250lb vs no shirt at 175 lb ...
294996_10151270996942956_1804082776_n.jpg

PS I should really change the first line of this post to "I was always a bit on the chubby side until 2012. Thought that it ran in the family, and it was just the way I am, but I was wrong. Now my weight is under control and it feels great."

PPS One last thing - early on I saw a motivational poster. I find that most of them are cringeworthy rubbish, but this one stuck with me - "One year from now, you'll be so glad you started today". So true. :-)
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Replies

  • fresh_start59
    fresh_start59 Posts: 590 Member
    Wow! What a difference a year makes. Excellent job.
    And kudos to your wife for being the supportive mate that she is!!!
  • Synapze
    Synapze Posts: 499
    Awesome work bud. And i have a very similar Quote in a print on my kitchen wall.
  • daydream_believer
    daydream_believer Posts: 332
    wow terrific transformation! you look amazing. nice work!
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
    Awesome job - and yes - I am sure you are very happy and proud you started this amazing change one year ago ;-)
  • dukanukem
    dukanukem Posts: 23
    What an awesome effort - congrats mate - inspirational!!
    Ps - I want to borrow that motivational saying you quoted!!
  • sam_gamgee
    sam_gamgee Posts: 138 Member
    What an awesome effort - congrats mate - inspirational!!
    Ps - I want to borrow that motivational saying you quoted!!
    Feel free, I'll waive the copyright. ;-)
  • DannyMinick
    DannyMinick Posts: 2
    This gives me inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing this.
  • littlewhittles
    littlewhittles Posts: 402 Member
    You look like a while different person! Congrats!
  • rudyaraiza91
    rudyaraiza91 Posts: 1 Member
    Wow thanks for sharing, what a terrific outcome, do you have any advice for use newbies? I'm in the same boat you were a year ago 5 foot 9 223 lbs! Any advice is appreciated :)
  • tcatcarson
    tcatcarson Posts: 227 Member
    That's a fantastic difference! Good luck maintaining your loss, your old pictures will begin to feel more and more like someone else is in them!
  • Rhonnie
    Rhonnie Posts: 506 Member
    Wow! Amazing!
  • sam_gamgee
    sam_gamgee Posts: 138 Member
    Wow thanks for sharing, what a terrific outcome, do you have any advice for use newbies? I'm in the same boat you were a year ago 5 foot 9 223 lbs! Any advice is appreciated :)
    I'll try ...

    1. Focus on what's important. Particularly early on, it's easy to get discouraged. Why do you want to lose weight? For me, it was mostly about my kids (we now have 4 under 7) and being able to keep up with them as they got older and faster, and making it more likely that I'd be around for them in 20 years.
    2. Set your calorie aim sensibly (not too low that you find it incredibly hard, not too high that you lose too slowly and get discouraged). 1600 works for me. Try to train yourself to treat it as a firm number as much as possible, not a guideline (but see #4 below).
    3. Find an exercise that you enjoy. For me, it was walking and then running. After the "get the kids to bed" madness and aftermath, I'd head out for a walk ... which became a jog, and then a run. I'm aiming to run 1000km this calendar year.
    4. Don't worry about a bad day. They're actually good to have every now and then, just not too often.
    5. Don't deny yourself completely. I love pizza and have eaten it regularly (probably once a fortnight) throughout - except now, I have 2-3 pieces for dinner instead of 7-8. Reduce your portion size to limit calories, and/or exercise to compensate. Same for all the foods I like.
    6. Drink heaps of water.
    7. See #1. I've tried to lose weight before with limited success ... I had to really want it.
  • SheenSZF
    SheenSZF Posts: 88
    You look great! Thanks for the good advice - nicely stated.
  • CoralDream
    CoralDream Posts: 25
    you look soooooo good! All of these success stories really give me hope
  • craignev
    craignev Posts: 1,247 Member
    Thanks for posting. Your starting stats (age, height, weight) are almost the same as mine so it's great to see my future body shape! :smile:

    Congratulations an your dedication and success.
  • apittmanrn
    apittmanrn Posts: 200 Member
    Congratulations!!
  • carijok
    carijok Posts: 32
    Wow, just wow. You are a machine, and I really admire what you did there. You look great!
  • SwimFan1981
    SwimFan1981 Posts: 1,430 Member
    You look amazing! well done!!
  • ccebohmygod
    ccebohmygod Posts: 27
    The most inspirational post I have seen. Not only because of the drastic change in your appearance but because it feels honest. LOVE the quote at the end. Hope some of it rubs off on me. Thanks mister
  • moostrodamus
    moostrodamus Posts: 60
    From one fat balding git to another...you look great bro! Am inspired.
  • Sambytheway82
    Sambytheway82 Posts: 500
    you look great hun well done :) x
  • Babychris11
    Babychris11 Posts: 91
    you legend, looking really well dude.!
  • SuMcP
    SuMcP Posts: 244 Member
    Well done - you look great! 2012 was a deciding year for me too - nearly there now :-)
  • Lauren210585
    Lauren210585 Posts: 12
    fantastic results well done!
  • BigG1978
    BigG1978 Posts: 54 Member
    Wonderful story, fantatsic outcome - very motivational.

    Well done
  • 786smh
    786smh Posts: 5 Member
    thank you for sharing your story & the good advice - really helpful

    and well done for all the hard work - you look great
  • BigJza
    BigJza Posts: 116 Member
    great work dude
  • maryannelk
    maryannelk Posts: 707 Member
    Congrats! You look great! I appreciate you sharing your strategies and your motivations. It's really inspirational!
  • Camille0502
    Camille0502 Posts: 311 Member
    Great job. I can totally relate to looking at pictures and thinking they make you look fat. My Chirstmas vacation 2011 was like that - **ALL** of the pictures made me look fat. I finally realized that it wasn't the pictures, it was me. I was fat! Congrats on your success!!
  • skcardiog
    skcardiog Posts: 316 Member
    High five - Well done !

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