My Progress with Pics

So I feel it is time for me to post my story and show some pics for some of you who have asked. Back in January I had decided it was finally time to do something about my weight. I would yo-yo about 20lbs between the summer and the winter as I tended to be a little more active in the summer by coaching my boys in baseball and football, but I did not change my eating habits, and it would all come back and more in the winter. This past January I decided I hated shopping at the Big and Tall store and I wanted a pair of designer jeans as I have never owned a pair.

I had purchased a gym quality treadmill about 3 years ago, and it was doing a good job of collecting dust in the basement in an unused bedroom. After New Years I had thought that if I moved it to the main TV room, it may get used as I could watch TV at the same time. I also thought that I should track my exercise so that I could see what I was doing and started looking for an app to do it. I came across MFP and I thought that tracking calories would be a good idea too. I downloaded the app and bookmarked the website and started really watching what I ate.

I became addicted to the website and was constantly looking at the success stories and thought I want to be able to do that. I became religious in tracking everything I ate and drank. I watched my sodium. I found 30 Day Shred and Ripped in 30. I started watching the latest season of Biggest Loser and have even started watching the old seasons (I am currently on season 6) I started C25K, but have just been too busy lately with it being in the middle of the baseball season, but I hope to get back on it and to be able to do a 1/2 marathon sometime next year.

I know that my weight-loss has been fast, and I will admit that I have not followed the rules in eating back exercise calories. I usually eat between 1200 and 1500 calories a day and it has worked for me. I am not advocating this method, I am just being honest with how I have been successful.

I started by wearing size 44 pants and 2 XL Shirts. I now own 2 pairs of designer jeans in size 34 and I wear XL Shirts. I would probably fit a size large shirt except I am pretty tall (6'3") and the arms tend to be too short in the large. Large shirts can also tend to be too narrow across my shoulders.

The BMI Calculator on this site now tells me that I am in the healthy range, but I still see that I have some to lose in my gut so I have set a new goal of about 10 more pounds. I have been told that I need to stop. I was told 35 pounds ago that I do not have any more to lose. I have been told that I am crazy that I want to lose another 10 pounds. My advise is do what feels right to you. Stop when you are happy. Of course don't go to an unhealthy weight, but stick to what makes you feel good.

You are all my inspiration.

Now for the ugly part. I am sorry for the unflattering pics. I usually take the pictures in the morning before I work out, so they are not pretty.