106 pounds and 12 inches lost in 6 months ** Pic Heavy **

On March 14, 2013 I began my weight loss journey at 362 pounds, the heaviest I have ever been and worst I have ever felt. All of my vitals were completely abnormal and I could not walk one city block without having wracking pain almost everywhere in my body. It was time to become a new person, inside and out. I was obese because I used food like an antidepressant and stolidly refused to seek professional treatment. The time came on a dreary March afternoon where I walked into the University of Pennsylvania's Albert J. Stunkard Weight Management Program and asked for help. I knew I could go no further. Here is me at 362 pounds.

[img]http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad50/mattschwartz01/Weight Loss/362lbs_zps4071181b.jpg[/img]

So, under the expert, professional, and concerned guidance that included a medical team and nutrition team, a plan was formulated. The expediency of losing weight became very important as the primary concern was that a heart attack could be eminent. I was placed on a completely decision-free nutrition program which consisted of shakes and pre-packaged foods by HMR (Health Management Resources.) The first few weeks were long the nightmarish as my body adjusted from eating close to 10,000 calories a day to 1,800. This certainly was not easy but I had the support of both the program and my truly awesome friends here on MFP. I noticed my physical pain and mental anguish starting to fade into the background.

[img]http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad50/mattschwartz01/Weight Loss/330lbs_zps7c17ba8f.jpg[/img]

Above is me at 330 lbs (32 pounds lost) after about 6 weeks on the program. I didn't see a physical difference but I knew I was much, much happier. At 330 lbs, I hit a stumbling block because the joint pain suddenly came back and came back strong because I was pushing myself a bit at physical activity. An MRI of my right knee revealed bone-on-bone but I was not going to quit - I had come too far and endured too much. One of my friends, Coffeeholic8, is a Certified Spinning(R) Instructor and after reading about his exploits on the spin bike, I made the choice to walk into a spin class at the gym. At the time, I made the choice, I decided I was going to do this positively with self-encouragement and self-love. So on my first spin class, I managed to meet the simplest goal: to stay on the bike. I rode a wave of good feeling the rest of the day and became hopelessly hooked.

As I started taking spinning classes, I noticed myself becoming more athletic and to be developing the coordination to do gentle standing climbs and soon began to be able to increase the tension and RPMs. One evening, towards the middle of May, I felt ready to take on road biking so I scoured Craigslist for a reasonable Cannondale as my research came up with it being one of the stoutest frames on the market. I knew I did not want a mountain bike because I had one years ago and did not like it, So, at 316 pounds my local bike shop - **Here is a huge shoutout to Sean, Chris, and TJ at Bean's Bikes in West Chester, Pennsylvania. This is the place to go for all of your biking needs** - built a rugged set of touring wheels and professionally fit the bike to me. I started slowly on 5-6 mile rides, all the time congratulating myself for just putting out the effort.

At 297 pounds, I completed my first distance ride on the first Saturday in July. I managed to ride 40 miles in 6 hours over hilly terrain. I had done it!

[img]http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad50/mattschwartz01/Weight Loss/297lbs_zps8fd839c9.jpg[/img]

Then, this pic below is at 285 pounds having just completed my longest ride to date, a 68 miler.
[img]http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad50/mattschwartz01/Weight Loss/285lbs_zps1fa2cca1.jpg[/img]

Finally, fast forward to October 1st, and I now regularly ride for more than 50 miles at a time with my longest continuous push being 90 miles. I tried to make my first century (100 miler) this year but was not quite there yet. No doubt next season, it will be in the cards. Below is a picture of me at 256 pounds.

[img]http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad50/mattschwartz01/Weight Loss/256lbs_zpsb32efb97.jpg[/img]

If I can do this, it is within the realm of ANYONE to achieve. It take heart, positivity, and a dogged determination. While at it, you might as well love the journey and love what you discover about yourself. I'm still not quite at goal weight yet because being lighter makes bicycling easier but I'm in no hurry, I'm just going to trend downward. Also at this point, I eat regular food and plan my meals. I still use the HMR shakes because they taste so good at breakfast. I see my dietitian once a week. Here's to logging for life!