1 year and 3 months, 146 pounds lost.

WailingDusk
WailingDusk Posts: 58 Member
edited August 2021 in Success Stories
Last year at the start of the pandemic, I didn't really have an excuse anymore. I was 372 pounds, alone with an exercise bike and a bowflex, had to order groceries online, worked from home, so all temptation was out the window. I was able to get a physical during the early months of the pandemic, and everything I saw sent me into a panic. I was 1 point away from being diabetic. My A1C was 6.3, fasting blood glucose was high, cholestorol was very high, blood pressure was through the roof, vitamin D was severely deficient... just so many things that could have led to a very miserable mid-life.

I cut out all processed foods and fast food. I also cut out all meat and dairy from my diet, save for eggs. Didn't bother with 'cheat days,' because if I have to cheat, then I'm not eating a diet is sustainable. I didn't bother counting calories, I just ate until full (which is easy to do when you eat whole foods). I still don't count calories as much, though I do use MFP. Most of my macros are pretty balanced, a bit more protein, but a lot of carbs. In fact, most of my diet started with a lot of slow carbs: beans, rice, sweet potatoes, barley, oats...

As soon as I started resistance training, I upped the protein more. One thing led to another, and before I knew it I had lost 100 pounds in under a year.

After a year, I'd lost about 120 pounds. By the time I went back to the office, no one recognized me anymore. It was wild.

Today I'm down to 226 pounds with a little over 40 pounds to go to reach my goal weight. I'm taking personal training sessions 3 days a week. I workout 5 days and rest 2. It's become such an integral part of my life that I don't miss anything about my life of junk food binges and lying around the house all day during my days off. I had a physical in March of this year, and was shocked to see how much everything improved. Where I was seeing red before was now green. Triglycerides were 40, down from the 250's. LDL was under 100 HDL was in the high 50's. A1C was down to 4.9, fasting blood glucose was back to normal. Blood pressure was still high, but has been steadily coming down since then. I'm off of BP medication now and it stays in the 110s to 120s over 70s/60's.

Another big change I noticed was my resting heart rate went from the 80's down to the 50's.

I'm still not to my goal yet, but I wanted to get as close to 200 pounds as I could before my trip to Colorado again this year, because I plan on hiking a lot. Below is a picture of a before and after. It's so weird to do little things like SIT ON THE FLOOR and be able to get right back up with little effort. Bend over or kneel down, stuff that people take for granted.

Can't wait to see what I look like in another 40 pounds. BTW I'm 38 and I've been obese since childhood. This is the lowest I've weighed since my freshmen year of high school. Hopefully this is some motivation for life-long strugglers of obesity and binge-eating disorder, body dysmorphia (which I still struggle with). Your genetics don't determine everything. Your diet does. That's the most important thing. If you can change your diet and eat more whole foods while cutting out processed garbage, you'll be much better off and the weight will come off.

You can't outrun a bad diet, no matter how hard you try. It will always catch up to you. I've had to learn that the hard way, over decades. Proper nutrition is just something that was never taught.

I feel younger at 38 than I did at 20. A good diet is everything, and after seeing and feeling the result, that is the hill I'll die on.

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Replies

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,514 Member
    A really great story!
  • mjglantz
    mjglantz Posts: 486 Member
    That is awesome and inspirational. You are so right about eating a healthy diet...makes all the difference in the world. Very impressed that you used the pandemic to make such a positive change in your life. Look forward to hearing more about your journey and successes!
  • gorple76
    gorple76 Posts: 162 Member
    Incredible achievement! And a totally awesome mindset - a real inspiration.
  • moonbeams896
    moonbeams896 Posts: 191 Member
    That's fantastic!! And such a great mindset! I think that's the biggest challenge to overcome - getting in the right headspace. Once you do that, the rest can follow. Well done!
  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
    $#!^ you have done an amazing job!!!
  • melbpsych
    melbpsych Posts: 10 Member
    My word! This is amazing and inspiring! Well done you mate.
  • Chooklet57
    Chooklet57 Posts: 43 Member
    Wow Go YOU! I post! Fantastic!
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    👀 You may want to consider sharing your story with Bowflex and the manufacturer of the bike. Just...wow!
  • craigheon
    craigheon Posts: 167 Member
    Fantastic job and very inspiring! Keep up the great work and positive mindset!
  • WailingDusk
    WailingDusk Posts: 58 Member
    JNettie73 wrote: »
    Congratulations on your accomplishment!

    Your post resonates with me. In March, after a trip to the hospital, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. My choices were continue my lifestyle and eventaully die or make a change. I transitioned from a vegetarian diet to a whole food plant based diet. I have managed to lower my A1C and now am in the pre diabetic range. Since making life style changes I have lost 45 lbs and still going. I completely understand what you mean about the little things in life such as sitting on the floor. I didn't realize how much of my own life I was not enjoying due to my size. Congratulations again on your success. I am happy for you!

    I'm glad you were able to get it under control! Type 2 is reversible at the early stages, and a lot of people don't realize that. They think it's a life-long sentence. Diabetes runs in my family. My father is 1/4 Cherokee and all of his side has it. My mother didn't have it, but my uncle and grandfather did. I look at the 20 medications my father takes, and the cost of his insulin and I made the decision that that woudl not be me in my mid-life and later years. I want to climb mountains at 70, not be barely able to move.

    I'm proud of you. You didn't just give up like a lot of people do when they are diagnosed. You changed and now you're seeing the results. Keep it up! That A1C can go even lower with enough time if you keep doing what you're doing.
  • WailingDusk
    WailingDusk Posts: 58 Member
    sandysaia wrote: »
    Your a big inspiration thank you for sharing this time and energy you put into answering my question.I’m going to take your advice. Please tell me what make and model stationary bike you bought from Amazon? Thank you so much and take care

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014VX254A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    This was the one I bought. It was very reasonably priced and did the job. The seat isn't the most comfortable thing ever, but it's a very low-impact way to start getting in your cardio. When I first got it, I was only able to do about 5 minutes at first.
  • WailingDusk
    WailingDusk Posts: 58 Member
    brenn24179 wrote: »
    wow, what a change. You look so good. Did you eat emotionally? I know I had to get a new mindset. When I wanted to eat when stressed I told myself that will just give me one more problem. When I get sick I want to eat, I had to tell myself food is not pain medication, take some medicine, food is not what you need. Yes and my mindset now is looking at food different. I look at how much damage it did to me rather than how yummy it is. I see that good looking food over there and say that looks so good but not good on me.

    Oh boy, did I ever. My mother was a big emotional eater, and I guess both my brother and I picked up on that. Medication through junk food. I could go through an entire pack of Oreos in one sitting and not realize it. Then I'd feel sick for a while, but I'd always keep doing it whenever I felt depressed, which was often. I've dealt with severe depression and GAD since childhood as well. A lot of trauma and abuse were no doubt contributing factors to everything.
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