Just keep moving

In February 2016 I was diagnosed as having extreme High Blood Pressure & being Pre-diabetic. I was with a new Family Doctor and actually saw the colour drain from his face as he saw my BP results and he started asking me if I was having any chest pain.
Damn, an "Oh Crap!" moment.

I was placed on two BP drugs immediately. Later I was informed about the permanent damage I had done to my heart and my Cardiologist listed off what I could do to help myself:

1. Stop smoking (I smoked approx. 1/2 pack a day at least)
2. Start exercising (I wasn't doing any)
3. Lose weight (at 6Ft, I weighed 264.4lbs, 44" waist, 21" neck)

In seven months my Cardiologist was suprised that I had:

1. Quit smoking.
2. Started exercising.
3. Lost weight.

My Cardiologist mentioned that most patients maybe do, one, of the three he suggested and when he saw me he said I had made his day; he couldn't stop smiling. Within a couple more months & with more test results back (Sept), I was told I no longer needed any medication - both my blood pressure and my blood sugar were solidly normal.
I was pretty darn (insert the word I'm really thinking here) happy.

I didn't actually start logging with MFP until May of 2016, but by the end of 2016, I had lost 100 pounds in total and have been maintaining my weight since.
Everyone asked me (those that still recognized me and many didn't!) how? - no magic pill, no diet.
I decided to make a lifestyle change and did it through portion control, exercise, and diligence.

Initially, I lost too quickly (20lbs the first month) and was really depriving myself and along with the no smoking, I'm sure I was a complete *kitten* to everyone around me.
I started working with a RD who slowed my weight loss and improved my plan.
No 'evil' foods, nothing off limits but everything measured/controlled/logged.
She asked me 'what I was missing most foodwise', Pizza.
'Why aren't you eating pizza?'
Well, I'm on a diet.
'You're not on a diet. 'There isn't anything wrong with Pizza, but how much of it you can eat depends on what else you are eating - Calories In Calories Out (CICO). There are no bad food (calories) as long as your are meeting all the nutrients you need.'

That clicked for me. In the past, diets were always 'Don't eat' X or eat only 'X'.
Now it didn't matter what 'X' was, it mattered how much of 'X' I would eat. I stopped depriving myself, and just kept logging and making sure my calories in were less than the calories out and I was getting all the nutrients I needed.

The other big difference, exercise.
I was really limited what I could do, due to other health issues, but every Dr agreed I could walk. So, I walked.
The first week I was lucky to do 20 minutes on a treadmill, with no incline, at 2 mph. It was hard, but I read on so many success stories here, 'Just keep moving' so I kept telling myself, 'just keep moving'. So I did.

Initially, on days when I really didn't want to get on the treadmill, I took my tablet with me to the gym and just walked while I read the MFP success stories that others posted here. I often walked farther than my goal those days, because I was busy reading these stories, I just lost track of time and the 'oh, I can't do it today' attitude and realized I had gone farther than I expected when I finally looked up at the readings.
Eventually I averaged 3 miles/ 45 minutes/8-10 incline/4.0-4.2mph.

Now I walk 3 miles on a treadmill at the gym (everyday) and 6-7 miles outside later in the day (usually 3-4 days each week).
It takes time...I'm worth the time.
Somedays, it can still be hard, but I keep telling myself, 'just keep moving'. So I do.

Today, almost 1 year & 10 months since I had a 'Oh crap' moment:
1. I've not smoked for 1 year and 10 months.
2. I've done cardio (walking) every day for 1 year & 10 months and added physio & weight training.
3. After hitting my goal, I've solidly maintained at 162-167lbs for the last 10 months. (Still 6' but now with a 30" waist and 16.5" neck).
4. I've been off all medication for more than a year.

I had donated my big clothes to various charities (I lost count after 2 dozen+ bags) but in June I happened to be cleaning out another closet and found something.
I thought I'd try them on and take a photo.

The black shorts I'm wearing are a 30" waist. The white/beige shorts are shorts I wore at my highest weight that had a 44" waist... that I had to replace the waist button on after it popped from the strain it was under.

I obviously knew I had to replace all my clothes, I just never realized how big I used to be.




A belated Thank-you, to those who posted your success stories here, you helped to keep me moving.