Ha easier said then done.
Weight loss… Why is it so much fun to gain the weight and really in the end are we ever satisfied? I look back at pictures of me and think to myself…. Wow I wasn’t as big as I remember myself being. But I have always felt like I was a big person and I just kind of accepted that. I played four years of high school football and 2 of college football as an Offensive Line Man where it felt like the goal was to get as big as you can get. I would be on the most amazing workouts I have ever done but when you were done you could eat what you want and not think twice about it. It was a great time. The problem for me really came when it was over. I never changed my eating habits and my “life style” never changed. By Life style I mean my eating habits didn’t change at all. I was probably bringing in the same amount of calories and I was refusing to work out. Naturally I ballooned up.
My second semester of my senior year at Western Maryland College I had a change of thinking. I did not have class until late in the day and I went on a mission to lose weight. I was taking Stacker 2 pills (the type that are now banned) and lost some serious weight. I remember that summer I just went and had seconds on a meal and my mom words to me were that was the most I have seen you eat in a long while.
Maybe that was a bad comment but at that point I started to gain a lot of weight again. I was then introduced to the Atkins Diet… That diet was awesome someone came up with a diet that I could eat whenever I wanted as much meat products as I wanted. How awesome is that? I lost a lot of weight on that diet too. I did the diet for about 90 days and I really looked good. Then I went on a vacation and I discovered the bad part of the Atkins diet…. When you get off it boy does that weight come back on quickly.
I also tried to watch my calories…. That was easier said then done.
Truthfully, I never really considered myself fat until maybe a month ago. I have always been a big guy but I was comfortable with how I look. I was an offensive line man for my college football team we were always suppose to be the biggest guys on the field. I never let my weight bother me, things like the name calling or even just the stereotypes that come with being fat, like being lazy, I accepted. I am not sure why I accepted it I just did. Maybe it was because all of my friends are like me and are bigger and have always been the biggest guy in the room. We laughed at it, and did what we could to turn the table to those who are “skinny” and made the fat joke before they could make it at us. I always felt that if my weight did not bother me why it should bother anyone else.
So if you are reading this and wondering why the change in attitude the answer is simple; it’s time.
There are numerous reason why I should lose weight or people who inspire me to lose weight. My first reason is my family. Look at these two pictures below. These were taken back in November.
I hate how my stomach hangs over my belt. I feel so disgusting and I hate having my picture taken. Selfishly I have a 3rd child due in June and I know my picture will be taken a lot then and I want to look good in those pictures.
One of my closest friends will always throw out the fat jokes at me. Until recently he had no idea how pissed off I would get at him and how much I want to knock him out. As childish as it sounds I was ready to fight him over Thanksgiving for a comment he made to me. But he always thought he was being cute with fat jokes talking about how my boss was starting a diet contest and I was the heavy hitter. The other day we were talking about ordering jersey and when the jersey I wanted was not available the first thing he said to me was sorry no 5X jerseys.
This past year, has not been good to me. It was humbling when I had to go to get an MRI and I could not fit into the machine. I barely fit into the open machine. I can’t walk up the stairs in my house without gasping for air. I am that guy at the movie theater who is the loud breather. I drive my wife crazy at night because I know I snore her ears off. I am not even sure my wife likes me anymore and I base part of it on how much I have gained weight. I am worried every night when I go to bed that I am not waking up in the morning. Every time I have a weird feeling in my arm I wonder if this is a heart attack about to happen. My family history is not a good one either – so genetics are even working against me. Most of all I am scared to go see a doctor. Not because of the reasons most people are afraid to go. I am afraid he is going to tell me what I already know.
I woke up the other morning at 3am. And felt like I was weezing and just had a horrible time catching my breath. It was at this point I knew something needed to be done. Starting tomorrow I go on a quest to weigh 199lbs. I know it can be done as one of my best friends Richard lost the weight and is below 200lbs for the first time since he was in high school. I picked 199 because I do not remember the last time I weighed under 200lbs.
So wish me luck…. Tomorrow I start to become a new person. I am going to need all the support I can get.
