25% of my bodyweight gone.

After years of not taking care of my body I decided it was time to do something about it. That was back in August 2012. I don’t know exactly what It was, but one day it hit me. I deserve to be able to go swimming without embarrassment, my daughters deserve a dad that can play tag with then, my wife deserves a husband she finds attractive. Plus, with a history of diabetes in the family, a less than ideal insulin sensitivity, a sedentary lifestyle and more than 20 extra kilos I was digging myself into an early grave.

So, back in August I began jogging and got started one of those diets that have you severely restricted for a couple of weeks and then slowly add more foods . While I did lose some weight that way, I got bored of eating by the book (literally, just what the book said). After a few weeks I was tired of the whole thing, luckily that is when I found MFP. I started counting calories and watching what I put in my mouth. I re learned how to eat. Easier said than done, but it the end learning about the whole nutrition and fitness package has been definitely worth the effort.

When I started:
I could barely go up a flight of stairs without losing my breath. I couldn’t jog for more than a mile. I couldn’t do a single push up, couldn’t do seated dips, couldn’t do a pull up or chin up, couldn’t hold a plank for more than half a minute. My body fat was about 32%, according to military calculator

What I’ve been doing:
Eat at a calorie deficit, aim to keep my macros around 50c/20p/30f, ditched the chips and cookies for breakfast, eat as varied as I can, indulge a lot less on junk food and have treats If I feel like it. I do 30 minutes cardio and 30 minutes strength training 3-5 times a week (Jog/walk for about 3 miles and the basic program from “You are your own Gym”)

Now:
I can run/jog 5Km in less than 30 minutes (I’ll be running my first 5K on Feb 24th). I can do about 12 pushups with good form and hold a plank for about a minute and a half. I am still nowhere near doing a pull up or chin up, but I’m getting there. My body fat is about 18%, according to military calculator and BIA gizmo.

I am still too shy for body shots, but here's my face pics:




I’ve reached my goal weight, but there is still a lot more to do; getting my body fat lower, running a 10k, getting stronger, getting fitter. I feel proud of getting here, but I know there is still much more to achieve.