Share your story
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cooprb1
Posts: 5 Member
Was hoping to start something where people could share their fitness stories. Personally, I find it motivational and figure other people might as well. I'll start with mine, which is still very much in progress.
All my life I have been a bigger guy. My parents were always pushing me to stay healthy and I would for short amounts of time, but there were times I stopped caring. The only sport I did in high school was golf. Obviously, golf was not a high impact cardio sport, but I did have to carry around my golf bag that weighed around 40-50 pounds. A couple of year after high school I got into bike riding. I always went to races and usually finished last, but I kept training so hopefully one day I wouldn't.
In 2011 I got married. I stopped riding bikes and picked up tennis, a sport my wife has played all her life. I also started letting myself go. I lied to myself when I looked in the mirror. I convinced myself I was still in good shape even though I would get out of breath walking up the stairs to my apartment. After moving to our house, I decided I would do better. Much like my younger days that lasted a short period of time.
Finally in early 2015 something clicked. I realized I was in terrible shape. I would play tennis and could barely walk the next day because everything hurt so bad. My wife and I picked up a Fitbit device and I started keeping up with my intake and output. For the first time in years I stepped on a set of scales just to see 360 pounds. I severely altered my diet and in 5 months lost 50 pounds. By the end of the year I was down about 60 pounds. In October 2016 I had gotten down a total of 85 pounds and had started working out more. Between late October 2016 and mid January 2017 I gained about 20 pounds back. I have now lost 10 of those 20. I'm doing more working out than I ever have and am enjoying it. I've started running at least one race a month. It helps keep me running other times of the month so I can try to beat my own time from the previous month. In march, I will be doing a 10K, something I never dreamed I would be doing.
I still have a long ways to go in order to be where I want to be. Currently I am at 285 pounds and wanting to drop to 250 by the end of the year. My eventual goal is to be below 200.
I find that stories of success no matter how small help keep my mind on the end. They show that it is possible. Hopefully this thread will get going, and other people will find a story that helps them.
All my life I have been a bigger guy. My parents were always pushing me to stay healthy and I would for short amounts of time, but there were times I stopped caring. The only sport I did in high school was golf. Obviously, golf was not a high impact cardio sport, but I did have to carry around my golf bag that weighed around 40-50 pounds. A couple of year after high school I got into bike riding. I always went to races and usually finished last, but I kept training so hopefully one day I wouldn't.
In 2011 I got married. I stopped riding bikes and picked up tennis, a sport my wife has played all her life. I also started letting myself go. I lied to myself when I looked in the mirror. I convinced myself I was still in good shape even though I would get out of breath walking up the stairs to my apartment. After moving to our house, I decided I would do better. Much like my younger days that lasted a short period of time.
Finally in early 2015 something clicked. I realized I was in terrible shape. I would play tennis and could barely walk the next day because everything hurt so bad. My wife and I picked up a Fitbit device and I started keeping up with my intake and output. For the first time in years I stepped on a set of scales just to see 360 pounds. I severely altered my diet and in 5 months lost 50 pounds. By the end of the year I was down about 60 pounds. In October 2016 I had gotten down a total of 85 pounds and had started working out more. Between late October 2016 and mid January 2017 I gained about 20 pounds back. I have now lost 10 of those 20. I'm doing more working out than I ever have and am enjoying it. I've started running at least one race a month. It helps keep me running other times of the month so I can try to beat my own time from the previous month. In march, I will be doing a 10K, something I never dreamed I would be doing.
I still have a long ways to go in order to be where I want to be. Currently I am at 285 pounds and wanting to drop to 250 by the end of the year. My eventual goal is to be below 200.
I find that stories of success no matter how small help keep my mind on the end. They show that it is possible. Hopefully this thread will get going, and other people will find a story that helps them.
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Replies
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Just realized my phone autocorrected my title and screwed it up. Supposed to be "share your story."
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My story is not a glamourus story. Growing up I was into Martial Arts. I had studied Karate, and practiced with other styles developing an MMA style before it was cool. I was the first in my class to enlist in the Army as a Junior in high school. I thought I was in good shape and could fight. Ft Benning soon corrected the over sights in my half assed training of a not so dedicated high school punk.
I came back from basic training and contiued a training regimine, mostly on my own, before I went to school every day. I loved how it felt, to be in better shape than most of the other people in school, and the fact I had already dedicated my self to something. I stayed in the reserves after high school and went to college, studing criminal justice. I found college frustrating, at the time I couldnt tell why. It was like every thing I learned in life, and through the military, they wanted to change. After a year, I dropped out and went active duty in the military.
Events happened in the Army, that made me become disillusioned with it, and I finished out my 4 years and took my discharge. Like a lot of veterans I had gotten tired of getting up early, and doing PT every day. So, I stopped. Hence started my soft years.
My soft years began to stop after I went back to college, and was nearly caught up in a hold up at a coffie shop. I was going to the coffie shop to study for exams, and as I pulled up the manager was locking the door. When I asked what was going on, he told me they had just been robbed. I had been running behind that day, and if I had been to the coffie shop on time, I would have been in the middle of the hold up with no weapons, and out of shape to fight. I began the process of getting my concealed carry permit that week, and started to look for a fire arms instructor.
The firearms instructor I found was Steve Mosley. He taught combatives at his school, as well as fire arms. Going to his classes re-ignited my passion for martial arts, and began my path into the study of Self Defense. I have been studying it for over 10 years now.
My purpose has changed over the years. My first son was born 5 years ago, and I wanted to be an example for him on how to be strong. I exercise in front of them with dedication, showing it to be fun, not a chore. My efforts show fruitation. I have 2 sons now, and they both join me as I train. Hitting the heavy bag, and bench pressing dumbells. My oldest loves doing calisthenics. I will contiue to be an example for them, and to contiue to improve my self.2
