I grew up fat, stayed fat, got less fat on occasion, and finally topped out at about 303 pounds in September of 2006. Over the course of my 33 years, I never really battled my weight problem. I just accepted it. There were a few times when I managed to shed some pounds (30 a few times, almost 70 one other time), but I was never able to keep it off. I thought I was doomed to shopping in the big man section forever.
During the spring of 2006, I developed a kidney stone and was later diagnosed with a condition known as hyperparathyroidism. Basically, my body was stealing calcium from my bones. Surgery corrected the glands that control calcium regulation, but during the extensive blood work to diagnose my condition, the endocrinologist declared me "pre-diabetic" based on elevated blood sugar. He told me to lose 7% of my body weight. That meant, I had to lose 21 pounds. I assured him that I would. For the first time, my excess weight scared me and became a serious health issue.
I left his office determined to make good on my promise. I began walking, watching my caloric and sugar intake, and limited dining out to one day per week. By the end of 2006, I had lost about 25 pounds. But, the holidays knocked me off course and I fell off the wagon. My wife and I spent Easter of 2007 at a bed and breakfast, completely abandoning all previous weight loss goals. When I returned home, I weighed 280 pounds. I had enough. I was going to stick with it this time.
Again, I started walking and doing some basic strength training movements (pushups, squats). I also began riding my bike as the weather warmed up. I started enjoying feeling hungry, fatigued, and sore. I still allowed myself one cheat meal per week, which really helped satisfy my cravings. I tried to keep my calories around 1500-1800 per day while reducing refined carbs and sugars. I started losing weight...fast.
I was losing about 10 pounds per month. By October of 2007, I decided that I needed a more consistent workout. So, my wife and I joined a 24-hour fitness gym. I had lost about 50 pounds. I was down to about 230. I stuck with it. I was working out 6 days per week and still watching my diet. The weight loss slowed down to about 4-5 pounds per month, but I was also gaining some lean muscle.
By the spring of 2009, I had gotten down to 186 pounds. It was a stunning achievement. I had lost 117 pounds. Something I thought was impossible happened. My doctor was thrilled with my weight loss, even saying that no one ever listens to his weight loss suggestions. And, my blood sugar returned to a normal level.
I still felt like I could lose another 10 to 15 pounds, especially around my midsection. But, for the most part, I was happy with where I was. This caused me to get lazy. I stopped going to the gym as often, and I let more and more calories creep back into my diet.
This brings me to now. I currently weigh 190 pounds. I've decided to re-dedicate myself with the goal of getting down to 175 pounds...hence, "The Final Fifteen". I will try to use this blog as a way to stay dedicated to my goal, and to keep a record of my progress. Future posts will hopefully be more entertaining and interesting, but I wanted to briefly chronicle my journey up to this point.
