Getting started...again.

The Background Story

 

This is me when I was at my largest. 336 lbs. roughly. The last time that I actually bothered to check my weight when I was obese in 2009, that was the reading. After that, I subconsciously decided to pretend it was not true, that i did not look bigger than my refrigerator, and that I could not possibly weigh all those pounds. "The scale is definitely not properly calibrated," was my deep down rationalization. It wasn't until early 2010, when I had a health scare that landed me in the hospital for what I thought was for sure a heart attack, (but which according to the attending doctor was just a panic attack) that I realized the seriousness of my blindness when it came to the negligence of my own health. I realized I would have to do something or possibly reach a very early death. You would think that this moment of epiphany would have yielded immediate change. Well it did not. I still couldn't get off my fat ass (physically and mentally) to effect the change that I need. It wasn't until November 2010 that I actually started the move toward a healthier me. I began with portion control for starters. Then I proceeded to educate myself about the benefits of certain foods and their effects on weight loss efforts. Then I began to include light exercise in my daily schedule, like walking, riding a bike, or simply playing with a soccer ball or shooting hoops with my sons (which I never did before on account of being incapable of moving faster than an 90 year old, arthritis-laden senior. 

 

By May 2012, after a full year and a half of modifying my lifestyle, I had lost 104 lbs! I used nothing in the form of pills (other than fish oil capsules, very infrequently), nor did I use expensive diet programs, and much less did I use any medical procedure to achieve my results. I did it purely on drive, education, and perseverance.




The Current Situation



Sadly, though, as tends to happen with success stories in the weight-loss world, I slowly and imperceptibly began regaining some of that weight. This is me just one week ago, and 33 lbs. over my achieved weight of 232 lbs. I have checked some height and weight charts and it seems that for a guy like me, 6' 2" and of a "large frame", I should supposedly be weighing about 195 lbs at the most. I don't believe that to be the case. You can see how I look at 232 lbs above in the second picture. I look damn near skinny. If I were to lose another 37 lbs after that, I would look skeletal. I'm not crazy about the anorexic look. But the worst thing about this current situation is that now, I have not been able to regain the momentum that I had created when I began losing serious weight. Many things have changed. For instance, I have a different job with more demands. I sold my treadmill thinking I didn't need it because of some alternative exercises I had come upon, which I can delve into on another occasion. I have become much more active as a writer and engaged in public speaking events. All this takes time, not to mention I am a single father and have all the duties of the home and my kids all to my self. And, worst of all, I have not felt the drive and dedication I once had to effect the change that I desire.


The Challenge

This brings me to the point of this blog. I am committed to regaining the momentum that I once had and fully transform myself into the person I know is hiding in this rough, damn near amorphous exterior. So I invite anyone to come and check out my progress and my methods to achieve this goal. I will describe what measures I employ, such as what i eat on a daily basis; type of daily exercise (if any); and any information that I find useful about what foods are good or not good to consume when attempting to lose weight. This is my pledge: I will lose 33 lbs. at the rate of one pound per week, so roughly four pounds per month for eight months plus one week (4 x 8 +1 = 33).

I began my effort yesterday (Monday, April 8, 2013). I will admit, I am starting in a rather drastic manner, for I had two eggs, about seven mini-carrots dipped at the tip with hummus, four cheese sticks, one small avocado and a hand-full of pork rinds; all of this was my breakfast. But then I only had a medium sized banana and a handful of redskin peanuts and cashews with a bottled water for lunch and then an orange for a two p.m. snack. After this I only had water for the remainder of the day and a cup of black coffee in the evening. So i am confident that if I am able to maintain this pace (albeit a bit more balanced with the right foods and exercise) I will have lost one pound by the end of the week. Remember, I started at 265 lbs. Monday morning. I will be weighing myself every morning but only reporting the resulting reading on the morning after the last day of the "diet week". That's right. I am creating this concept right here. The "diet week" will consist of the days spanning from Sunday morning to Friday night. Saturday will be my "day off". This means that I will report my weight before breakfast and then be able to eat whatever I want, and binge drink if the occasion calls for it the entire day! :)

One day down, 230 days to go. Wish me luck!


Gabriel H. Sanchez