I reached me goal... 110 pounds lost in less than 1 year!!!

I DID IT!!! I DID IT!!! I DID IT!!!

About 11 months ago, I started my weight loss journey on MFP. I set a goal of losing 110 pounds by my nieces wedding on July 17th. I not only reached my goal, but I reached my goal well before my target date. On Friday (341 days on MFP), I reached my goal of losing 110 pounds. I couldn't have done it without my MFP friends and family, and most importantly, I couldn't have done this without the love and support of my 14 year old daughter and my wife! They encouraged and supported me every step of the way.

It amazes me how drastically my eating habits have changed over the last year. Before I began on MFP, an average breakfast for me would include a couple large coffee's from Dunkin Donut's with cream and sugar (around 600 calories), a sausage egg and cheese sandwich on an everything bagel (about 600-700 calories), and about 10 donut holes/munchkins (another 700 calories). The first time I ate this and then input it into MFP, I was in shock and I realized how poorly I was eating. I also go out to eat every day at work with my office. I ate French fries pretty much every day. Dinners weren't too bad, but my sweet tooth would kick in after dinner and I would sit down with a bunch of cookies. I haven't eliminated any specific food from my daily diet now, but I definitely eat in moderation and have tried my best to eliminate the "junk" from my diet. Breakfast is now a black coffee and a Greek yogurt or a protein bar. I still go out to lunch every day, but I have learned you can almost always find something healthy on any menu. I also eat a lot of baked/grilled fish now. I also still have a sweet tooth, but I can fit one or two cookies into my calorie allowance, just not half a bag of cookies. During my time on MFP, I have also quit smoking, so I feel my all around health improving by leaps and bounds!

During my time on MFP, I have also made going to the gym a priority in my daily life! Back in 2008, I was diagnosed with severe degenerative arthritis, specifically in my knees and ankles. By 2013, the arthritis had moved into my spine. Every step I took was painful. The arthritis in my spine was becoming more and more painful. I knew I needed to do something in addition to the diet modifications I was beginning. I decided to start swimming at a local YMCA. At first, I struggled to swim 5 laps. The first week I swam, I tried to swim 5 laps each day. The next week I tried to swim 6 laps each day. I continued that method and I'm now to the point where I'm swimming a mile a day (36 laps... minimum) and I do that 6 days a week. I estimate that over the last 11 months, I have swam just over 200 miles!!! Combining swimming and diet has made such a drastic change in my body! I no longer feel the arthritis in my spine and the pinched nerve in my back is gone! The pain in my right knee is gone. The pain in my left knee (which my orthopedist told me I needed to have replaced) is now manageable. I no longer feel pain in every step I take! My quality of life has improved 1000 times! Exercise/swimming has become an integral part of my life. If I miss going to the pool one day, I miss it! This has definitely become a life style change, not just a diet!

On Friday when I hit my initial goal, I re-evaluated where I want to go with this and I added another 15 pounds to my goal. This will give me something to shot for and will keep me motivated. I really want to try my best to hit this 15 pound goal by my nieces wedding on July 17th.

Finally, if you're reading this and have any questions, feel free to send me a message. Also, I'm always looking for active, fun, motivational friends on MFP. Send me a friend request...