One year of logging daily 88 pounds lost!- Here is one man's journey so far... with pics!

This will be a continuation of my Day 100 Check in – Down 48 pounds.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012348/day-100-check-in-down-48-pounds/p1

And also a continuation off of my Day 200 Check in – Down 70 Pounds
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10078148/day-200-down-70-pounds/p1


My name is Danny and I'm 24 years old and well I did it! I made it an entire year on this lifestyle change. It’s been one hell of a journey so far and I’m excited for what is still to come. Because today is my one year anniversary I decided I’d like to share my journey with those who are seasoned on this lifestyle and are currently on their journey, for those just starting their journey, and for those still afraid to start their journey. My story is a bit of a lengthy one, so I appreciate anyone who gives it a read. Here we go…

For one I want to start off by saying that I personally did not think I would still be here doing this… I for a very long time have been a VERY unmotivated guy. I let life consume me and I pushed myself onto the back burner for a very long time. I believe this was a mechanism to keep myself guarded. I’m quite a shy, and introverted person so it was easy for me to fade out in the background and just continue gaining weight. I wasn’t always a heavy guy. It was a slow progression. One that I didn’t even realize was really happening. It almost seems like one day I just woke up and was fat.

After I graduated high school in 2009 I continued to gain more and more weight probably topping the scale at about 270 pounds. For me at 18/19 years old that was quite heavy. On a whim I decided to join a gym and try to commit into a healthier lifestyle. That first journey I did not count calories, I ate what I wanted when I wanted and seemingly just kept losing weight. It was great! I was seeing the changes in my body and I was starting to gain a bit of confidence. Without any knowledge of proper diet or exercise I managed to lose about 60 pounds. I remember the day I stepped on that scale and saw the loss. I was so proud of myself. Fast forward a little bit and life just got in the way, and taking care of myself didn’t seem to be a priority to myself anymore. In short I fell off the wagon and waited almost 5 years to do anything about it…

So fast forward again to July of 2014, this time I’m 23 years old topping the scale at 291 pounds. This is where I hit my rock bottom. Here I was sick all the time, depressed, lonely, killing myself daily on a diet of drugs, alcohol and fast food. The final straw was myself drinking at work and then showing up to my grandparent’s 50th anniversary party drunk before the thing even started slurring my words, bumbling around like a waste of life that they all felt obligated to be proud of… It was that night after the party I went to a bar alone and sat there by myself staring at my drink just wondering what my life had come to. I woke up daily hating myself, self-loathing because of the choices I’ve made for myself. I hated that I relied on alcohol to have fun, I hated that I relied on food to be happy, and I hate that I let these things control my life for so long. It was that moment that I decided I was going to get healthy, I was going to be fit and active, and I would monitor my alcohol consumption, and severely limit my fast food intake. That was the very beginning of a spectacular journey towards self-appreciation, determination, and a happier outlook on life.

I downloaded My Fitness Pal as a means on helping myself count calories and track my exercise. At first I found it very difficult to stay within my calories. I was so hungry all the time. Then I realized I needed to make better food choices to feel fuller longer. I began drinking more water to try and fill myself up between meals. It helped tremendously. It took me quite some time to get the hang of things but I’m glad that I held on and didn’t give up. I began my journey by eating a little over 2000 calories a day and doing cardio 5-6 times a week for an hour. Majority of my journey was cardio. I used the treadmill daily on a pace of 3.5mph, on a 15.0 incline. It wasn’t by any means what I would consider cardio now… But back then I would sweat bullets within just minutes of starting. For probably 7 months I followed the same routine treadmill for 30 minutes, elliptical for 30 minutes. Sometimes I’d switch it up and do an hour on the treadmill, or vice versa. Eventually it got very boring and I just was not seeing results anymore… I began to introduce serious lifting into my routine around April of this year. My coworker and good friend offered to train me as he was once like myself quite heavy and very unhappy. He showed me the ropes on proper technique, supplements like new vitamins and proteins for after working out. Since then I have put cardio on the back burner and began to see results again. Although the weight is falling off slower, my body is starting to look more firm and defined. I wish I wasn’t so intimidated by the weight lifters at the gym when I began my journey because I’ve come to really enjoy lifting and the results of it. I find myself really enjoying the bench press, free weights, lat pulls, low rows. I like looking in the mirror and seeing my muscles move in ways I never could see before. It’s a very rewarding experience. I still run every few days around my neighborhood for a half hour to keep true to my cardio beginnings. I notice if my body starts to stall I overeat a few days then hop back into my routine and the weight starts to come off again.

In June of this year an amazing thing happened. One of my favorite singers Leona Lewis was looking for empowering stories to share for anticipation of her new album. I sent a brief synopsis of my journey and a progress photo and had not heard anything for the entire month. Then on the very last day of June she shared my story to her 5.5 million followers on Facebook. I received so many kind messages from people all over the world on a similar journey as mine, or just people who felt empowered by my story and it was and still is the most amazing feeling. I was actually supposed to go meet Leona Lewis a few nights ago in Chicago during a press tour, but I was not feeling very well and had to miss the event ☹ But it was still an amazing feeling to see the reactions of complete strangers that felt something from my story.

My body although still not the one I want is becoming one I love. I look forward to the future and what another year of lifting and logging will do for my body. Overall making this one decision to get healthier has been a positive chain reaction on my life. I haven’t had a pop/soda in a year; 7 months ago I quit smoking cigarettes. I don’t let alcohol control my life anymore. I’ve learned to drink in moderation and I know my limits. I also haven’t touched a drug in over a year. I’m a much happier person now that I’ve got my life under control. I really like the man I’ve become.

Although I didn’t hit my goal of losing 101 pounds by the one-year mark, I still came pretty close and will continue to work hard. But for now I’ll take one year of hard work, 88 pounds lost & 30.2% change as a job well done.

Now here are some pictures to see how where I began, and where I am now.

This is day 1 vs. today - day 365

I photographed really well today, I still have a bit of a belly.

This is September 2014 vs. April 2015 same outfit.


These were my starter pants from July on me in April. I've since donated them!


This picture was just for the hell of it this yesterday. 'Murica! F yeah!


This is a screenshot of singer Leona Lewis' sharing my photo on her Facebook page in June.



As I continue my journey into year two my goal is to hit my initial weight loss goal of 101 pounds lost, I want to then sculpt my body into the one I really desire. I still at times feel very insecure in my body. Like I've said in the past it's taking my mind much longer to catch up to my body. I don't realize how far I've come until I look at the photos or someone says something. So I HIGHLY recommend you take photos and chronicle your progress! You are your biggest critic! You'll see the difference when it's looking you right in the face!

I’m always looking to make more friends on here, feel free to send me a friend request. We can do this journey together! If you have any questions please feel free to ask and I will answer them as soon as I can!

Sorry for the lengthy post, I didn’t even share everything I wanted to… But this is getting quite long! Thank you to everyone who reads my story, and I wish everyone continued success on their journeys!