a year on MFP, w/ some progress pics

a little over a year ago, i decided to change my life. i was at rock bottom and knew something had to change. i was an active kid, good athlete and generally always happy. then i started having knee trouble in 7th grade. all activity stopped. and i realized i loved to eat. had my first knee surgery at 13 years old. put on some weight being inactive. a few more surgeries in the next few years. then i started to drive and realized how easy it was to hit the drive thru fast food joints and quik - e marts. another surgery here and there. off to college and started to drink. more weight came on. ate whatever and whenever i wanted. and got even heavier. graduated college and moved back home. mom is a great cook. another knee surgery. more inactivity. more weight. more drinking. learned to love wine. married, lost some weight, gained it back. ate crappy. wings, burgers, all washed down with beers. too many beers. more knee surgery. same story next few years. and it continued.

over the last 25 years, i've had 13 knee surgeries. i currently have metal plates at the ends of each thigh bone. the underside of each knee cap was hallowed out and replaced with plastic, so when i walk, the plastic rubs up against the metal, instead of bone on bone. rehab finally done, cleared by my doc and it was time to make some changes. the picture below is of me around my heaviest weight... 293.



heard about MFP thru a friend and joined. and started walking. 20 minutes was all i could handle and i couldn't go two days in a row b/c my knees would be too sore. i watched what i ate, changed a few things on my personal menu and kept walking. weight fell off quickly. the more success i saw, the more into it i got. i got thru holidays, birthdays, bbq's, summer nights by the outdoor firepit, block parties and everything else. needed new belts, i ran out of holes on the old ones. people were starting to notice and compliment me.

here i am at a wedding in august...



had a great time at the wedding, dancing like never before. confident. had some drinks, passed on the wedding cake. i think. i don't remember too much at the end.

kept working hard and was getting nervous now that september was here and i was now going back to work. teaching gives me the summer off and allowed me to really focus and have plenty of time to prepare and learn and exercise. but i made a commitment and stayed with it.

kept up the cardio and started light lifting with dumb bells about a month or so ago. this pic is from just the other day...



i am extremely proud of my progress. however, i have good days and bad days. i have an amazing support system here on MFP. great friends, some new, some old, all motivating and willing to share what they know.

i look back on my year and think about all the weight i lost, which is great, but what really makes me happy is to look back on this past year and think of all i have gained. the weight can be measured on the scale, but the things i have gained can not be measured. a few of my gains and accomplishments over the last 12 months...

*well, for the first time since i have been 12 years old, a whole year has passed since the last time i have seen my knee doctor.
*i went on a 5 mile hike and loved it
*i take a hot yoga class twice a week
*i love taking my mountain bike on some moderate trails
*i am not the fattest guy at work
*i had season tickets to a local waterpark last year, and already purchased them for this year
*i look forward to a healthy meal
*i get cranky if i don't get my workout in
* i am confident in how i look
*my body is so much more capable of what i thought it was
*my exercise sessions went from 20 minute walks, to 50 minutes on the elliptical, followed by mountain climbers and burpees

and now a few notes...i don't have a gym membership, altho am giving it some thought. i have a used elliptical and a treadmill i purchased off a neighbor for a hundred bucks. i have a mountain bike too.

i still have a few drinks once in a while. just not as many.

i haven't had fast food in over a year, but still have pizza every other week or so.

i drink about a gallon of water a day, and almost no soda, unless i am mixing it with alcohol.

i still eat some cookies or dessert, just not as often or as many.

i tell everyone this, b/c honestly, if i can be successful here, anyone can. i am a typical guys guy who loves wings and beer. i used to live to eat, now i eat to live. when i used to make dinner, if the wife went out, i would make two bacon cheeseburgers, half a bag of french fries and wash it all down with 6 or 7 beers. just the other night she went out and i made talapia fillets with broccoli and rice. and i couldn't wait for her to leave so i could start making it.

surround yourself with good people, learn from them. commit to bettering yourself. it is hard, but totally worth it.

ask yourself, "who is in your mirror?"

be the person you want to be. only you can change it.

thanks to all my MFP friends who have helped me get here. i could not have done it without all of you, whether you are one of my originals, or someone i just became friends with.

good luck to all.