My Zero Day is Upon Me!

I'm 2.4 pounds away from my goal and I don't suspect its going to make much difference in terms of my appearance so I wanted to take this off of my bucket list. I've been working really hard the last 4 months or so to make my goal but this adventure started over a year ago. I, like many of you, have had several setbacks on my way to my goal but I've learned a lot about myself and have found a way to usher in a new me.

I grew up a very skinny person. It wasn't until I was in my late 20's that I started to put on weight. I formed a lot of bad habits growing up because I could literally hook myself up to an IV of sugar and not gain a pound. I used to eat anything that was considered indulgent and a lot of it. I carried this habit and it finally started to take its toll in my early 30's. I was still a young man though and what did I care if I was a little heavier. It wasn't until my 40's that I started to have issues. I developed high blood pressure, I had severe bouts of acid reflux and I would suppress these symptoms with medication. I was taking upwards of 6 pills every night of the week to control these issues. Funny, you'd think that would be enough to make me take some time and consider the long term effects of my eating habits...that or the fact that I had to put my feet up onto something to tie my shoes... but it wasn't.

This is a picture of me at my heaviest known weight. The day after this picture was taken I started my MFP account and I weighed in at 255lb. Now I'm quite certain that I had been heavier earlier in the year but its close enough. Clearly I was overweight and in the eyes of the government and insurance companies I was obese.

[img]http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r482/Darin_Van_Raes/Transformation Pics/9ee29447-d030-490c-84a7-753c20156b1c_zps36fa15b6.jpg[/img]

Here is another, I'm not sure what I weighed in this picture but it was taken a few months earlier and I was at least 255lb.

[img]http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r482/Darin_Van_Raes/Transformation Pics/a5a37d5f-00dd-4957-8ba4-d3963f7d043f_zps7dff45fa.jpg[/img]

So, there you have it. The night the first picture was taken (October 2012), I innocently posted it to Facebook as it was a party that I was at with some friends. One of my longtime friends, who has no filter and tends to say things without thinking about it first, commented on the picture immediately and said, "dude, you're fat!". It changed my life. I guess that I never realized how big I had gotten until someone just said it to me. I always kind of joked about it but with the health problems that I was having that final push is what really made me think about it. Its important to note that I didn't actually DO anything about it until nearly 9 months later. What I can tell you though is I was very conscious about my weight from that moment on. I'm not going to candy coat this, I'm a little vain and when someone calls you out like that, as innocently as it was done, it really bothered me. I was embarrassed...not to mention probably heading towards an early stroke or heart attack.

Fast forward to July 2013 and I was heading out on a trip with my business partner. He was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and was taking insulin to control his symptoms. He was placed on a diet to help control his weight and aid in his treatment. I'm not sure what happened exactly but I decided on that trip to just eat what he did, control my intake and see what happened. I stuck to it and when I came home I just kept going with it. Over the next 3 months I lost 40 pounds and headed into the holiday season really proud of myself. But then the setbacks came. I went on vacation with my family and thought I'd reward myself for all my hard work. That really didn't work out for me. BUT, I was walking and running and lifting weights so I figured I could control it. I'm just not built that way. I know plenty of people out here have figured out how to just eat anything in moderation but my brain simply cannot function that way. I have no "off" switch when indulging in foods like PIZZA or pretty much anything Italian or Mexican. I gained back 17 pounds over the next 6 months...which in retrospect isn't that bad but at the time I was devastated.

In May of this year, the 11th precisely, I decided enough was enough and I was going to hit my goal weight or die trying. I don't say that lightly either. I managed to muster up as much will power as I have within me and just decided I was going to control everything I ate and wouldn't compromise at all...and I haven't. Losing this last 2.4 pounds is a forgone conclusion at this point and I really just wanted to share it with all of you who inspired me. I know what I can eat safely, its grown on me and I'm quite happy to eat this way...though probably in much larger quantities as I go forward. A lot of what I've learned has come from friendly advice from this community and I'm glad I am finally able to post this message to all of you. THANK YOU.

Here is me now.

[img]http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r482/Darin_Van_Raes/Transformation Pics/0742b261-b3de-43cb-97e8-e3c03afed9d8_zps3006c5d8.jpg[/img]

I've lost nearly 80lbs and I feel plenty skinny at this point. I will say though that its kind of hard to get used to so far. I walk by a mirror now and then I still cant believe what I see. I'm very proud to have made it this far. Thursday the 7th, I'm running in my first 5K ever. A year ago I would have had a hard time running to the end of my driveway. Now I run 3-4 miles every other day and I feel great doing it. Once cooler weather arrives I'm heading back into the gym and will attempt to bulk up a little cleanly.

So thats it. I'm 44 and I weigh less now than I have in over 20 years. I did it! Thanks for your support, I enjoy reading all the success stories out here.

-Geek