80 Pounds in 8 Months



  *Originally written for my companies fitness article in Spring of 2015*.

March 1st, 2014 I made a decision to lose weight. It was a decision I’d made a hundred times before…   

I was 200 pounds when I entered High School and 275 when I left.  I grew to over 280lbs in the following years. I was embarrassed of my weight, not being comfortable in my own skin. I smiled through the shame because it was easier than fixing the problem I had with myself.

I wanted to lose weight and I knew diet and exercise were essential. Yet, it seemed too simple to even consider. I merely assumed weight loss must have been beyond the simplicity of diet and exercise. Soothing words from friends and family had persuaded me that I only had a few extra pounds but I was still healthy.

I believed what I wanted to believe.   

I wasn’t motivated. I had the knowledge but not the determination. I had always prayed that the weight would magically disappear, but March 1st, 2014 I prayed something different… I prayed, not to lose weight, but to change my thinking altogether. I wanted to be an example to my family. I wanted to be a representative of my household and my faith.  I wanted to be taken seriously.   

After seeing a family friend who lost nearly 50 pounds in a few months by eating healthier I had an answer to my prayer.  I could see that it was possible and I wanted that change. I started right there. I was finally motivated.   

I immediately changed all my eating habits, focusing on high protein/low fat meats, unprocessed/non-bleached grains. I avoided unnecessary oils and adding any sugar to anything. I ate mountains of fruits and vegetables. I was very strict for the first two months . I learned to eat more of what was good and less of what was bad, reshaping the way I thought of food and how I portioned my meals.

I  began exercising.  I pushed myself past my comfort to obtain true results. The intensity and durations of my workouts kept increasing as I became more capable. I would climb stairs 3 days a week starting at 460 steps per 10 minute workout to 2,300 steps per 30 minute workout. I would also jog 2 miles any day I wasn’t doing the stairs. In time, I added in abdominal, arm, and squat challenges.   

Everything had changed. March 1st, I was 280lbs and by late October I had gotten down to 199lbs. I had lost 80 pounds in less than 8 months, not with pills or radical routines, but by implementing a healthy standard of living.

The weight I was carrying was equivalent to holding my 6 year old son and 3 year old daughter 24 hours a day. I had to donate all my clothes. I had gone from a 2X-Large shirt to a Medium… from wearing 44 waist pants to a 32-34 waist.

I look back and I don't even see myself in those old pictures. I don't even feel like the same person. I kind of hope I'm not. I want to be better.  My goal is to maintain this new body. I want to be an inspiration and role model for my children; to teach them to be healthy and avoid the heart aches and limitations I faced with an unhealthy lifestyle.