U.S. Army Vetran, New to this site. (5'9" - 281lb, male)

Hey my name is Eric. I am new to this site. Since getting out of the Army in 2001 I began to gain weight. I would tell myself that I wont get over 225, then 250, then 270, and so on and so on. The entire time I never made an evvoft to make any changes to stop the weight gain. I was disabled in the Army and worked as a mechanic for United Rentals until my disability made it to hard to do normal things. By the time I left my job in 2009 I weighed over 280.

I had spinal fusion surgery in my lower back in late January 2011. After the surgery I got up to 315. That made it hard to move around and I began to feel like it was going to be impossible for me to lose the weight on my own so I began to consider bi-pass surgery. Right now I am in evaluation process to see if I will be a good canidate for the surgery.

Just this past September I went to the V.A. Hospital for a semi annual checkup and was told that I had to increase the dossage of the blood pressure medication that I am taking and that my fasting blood sugar was 105. I weighed in at 307 that day. My doctor told me that she wanted me to come back in a month to redo the test and that if things were the same or worse that she would consider me being evaluated to be treated for pre diabetis.

After that appointment I started jogging a mile a week. I could only do one mile because I was left in so much pain that I had to take a week off inbetween workouts. I began to change the ammount of food that I ate when I ate and managed to lose six pounds before my next appointment. My next appointment was with the nurse and I weighed in at 301. She had me come see her again a week after Thanksgiving because she was afraid that the holidays were going to pose a threat to my lifestyle change. I seen her then and at that time I weighed in at 291. She was amazed, that was 10 pounds in three and a half weeks. I told her that my family had joined the Y and that I have been swimming two times a week for 30 minutes.

Who knew that swimming and cutting back on my portions would help me to lose so much weight. I went swimming yesterday and on the same scale wearing just trunks and shoes I weighed in at 281. I'm happy but not content. On that same scale back in November wearing the same trunks and shoes I weighed in at 301. Thats 20 pounds. I have 81 more to go before I reach my goal. I feel that if I can continue to lose the weight like this then I will not need the bi-pass surgery. I put a bike on layway to get out in the spring and ride. I know that it took time to gain this weight and I am cool with taking the time to lose it.

My goal weight is 200 pounds and I hope that with the encouragement of some new friends from this site that I will be able to reach that weight and maintain it.

Please friend me and I will do my best to encourage you to reach and maintain your goal weight.