There once was a guy from Nantucket...since I don't know him let me tell you about another guy from New England, He once weighed more than 500 pounds, that's a quarter ton for you people doing the math. He would sit on his couch and wait as long as he could to do anything because getting up from the indented leather couch was a task that took lots out of him, he watched out his window as people strutted by and his thoughts were about how can people want to walk around. Often he thought about how easy life would be if someone would invent some handles that hung from the ceiling on tracks of some sort or even better that technology would allow for something to be made that flew in the room that he could grab a hold of to help him get up off the couch when the need arose (true story folks as sad as it sounds) that was easier than eating better? When the time came for him to use the bathroom it was a struggle, first he had to stand up and walk to the bathroom and when he got there he had to turn sideways to get through the door and even then his belly scraped the side of the opening, after his business was done is when the real fun started but I will save you that visual for now.
Missing out on baseball games, movies at the theater and basically anything that "normal" sized people take for granted life was not exactly peachy for this fine young man, father and husband. Then it happened, fear entered the picture and he had too much to lose and a decision was made, he was going to lose weight and this time and he meant it! His 250 pound wife came home on New Years eve with 2 pints of Ben and Jerrys ice cream so that they could have some ice cream while watching the ball drop on the television and somehow that pint felt like a slap in the face and became a goal of sorts, this guy decided that he would not eat that pint until it was on his own terms and into the freezer it went...for a whole year.
January 1st and off he went into uncharted territory and started counting calories, eating better and drinking a ton of water, would it last? He started off walking, true enough that he could only make it for 5-10 minutes before his back hurt and he was covered in sweat but hey! he had that stroller to lean on while he walked and he was getting out with his 2 year old daughter all at the same time so he kept going. Eventually he was able to make it all the way around the block, and then twice around as the weight was coming off he often thought about how great it would be to lose 100 pounds in a year. Five months later he had reached that goal of 100 pounds lost and was starting to realize that he was doing it, all by exercising more and eating less? who wouldda thunk?
The walking had turned to hiking and longer walks and the weight was coming off, what was this magic? where was the reasoning in this? no pills? no surgery? yet the weight was coming off? how could that be? He was not missing out on things much anymore and was always out and about going on hikes or walks with the family, There was no more loathing people walking outside and the handle from the ceiling idea was long gone, he was changing his life.
A year later that pint of Ben and Jerrys was about ready to eat and that once 500 plus fella was down 165 pounds and moving in the right direction for such a long time that there were new habits hanging around. He was doing push ups for the first time in a long time and over all was feeling great, his 250 pound wife was now down to 175 pounds and things were looking up, all because they were eating better and moving more? maybe there is something to this.
17 months later he weighs 200 pounds less than he did at the start, he has begun a running program and life is as grand as it has been in quite some time. I know because I lived it, I was once a 500 plus pound man which I do not say proudly but the facts are the facts and there is no argueing with them. I blew up over a 6 year period after having a back injury and just when I started wallowing in my own self pity and thought about having a surgery to fix my weight problem, reason came along and slapped me in the face because fear was smiling at the front door, I am glad that I chose not to open that door and keep on wallowing because who knows where I would be today if I had.
Odds stacked against me, 500 plus pounds, back injury, probably on a path to depression, big bag of health risks because of it all and here I am 200 pounds lighter and trying to get tuned up enough to run a 5k race.
Missing out on baseball games, movies at the theater and basically anything that "normal" sized people take for granted life was not exactly peachy for this fine young man, father and husband. Then it happened, fear entered the picture and he had too much to lose and a decision was made, he was going to lose weight and this time and he meant it! His 250 pound wife came home on New Years eve with 2 pints of Ben and Jerrys ice cream so that they could have some ice cream while watching the ball drop on the television and somehow that pint felt like a slap in the face and became a goal of sorts, this guy decided that he would not eat that pint until it was on his own terms and into the freezer it went...for a whole year.
January 1st and off he went into uncharted territory and started counting calories, eating better and drinking a ton of water, would it last? He started off walking, true enough that he could only make it for 5-10 minutes before his back hurt and he was covered in sweat but hey! he had that stroller to lean on while he walked and he was getting out with his 2 year old daughter all at the same time so he kept going. Eventually he was able to make it all the way around the block, and then twice around as the weight was coming off he often thought about how great it would be to lose 100 pounds in a year. Five months later he had reached that goal of 100 pounds lost and was starting to realize that he was doing it, all by exercising more and eating less? who wouldda thunk?
The walking had turned to hiking and longer walks and the weight was coming off, what was this magic? where was the reasoning in this? no pills? no surgery? yet the weight was coming off? how could that be? He was not missing out on things much anymore and was always out and about going on hikes or walks with the family, There was no more loathing people walking outside and the handle from the ceiling idea was long gone, he was changing his life.
A year later that pint of Ben and Jerrys was about ready to eat and that once 500 plus fella was down 165 pounds and moving in the right direction for such a long time that there were new habits hanging around. He was doing push ups for the first time in a long time and over all was feeling great, his 250 pound wife was now down to 175 pounds and things were looking up, all because they were eating better and moving more? maybe there is something to this.
17 months later he weighs 200 pounds less than he did at the start, he has begun a running program and life is as grand as it has been in quite some time. I know because I lived it, I was once a 500 plus pound man which I do not say proudly but the facts are the facts and there is no argueing with them. I blew up over a 6 year period after having a back injury and just when I started wallowing in my own self pity and thought about having a surgery to fix my weight problem, reason came along and slapped me in the face because fear was smiling at the front door, I am glad that I chose not to open that door and keep on wallowing because who knows where I would be today if I had.
Odds stacked against me, 500 plus pounds, back injury, probably on a path to depression, big bag of health risks because of it all and here I am 200 pounds lighter and trying to get tuned up enough to run a 5k race.
The only thing holding you back is yourself, now you don't have to ask me how I know.
As Ever
Me
I expect this tale to end Happily Ever After, keep at it!
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderfully inspiring story my friend. Could really relate to everything you talked about here. And the bathroom trip, as a former 500 pound man, that's something I completely understand and like you, haven't, couldn't, and wouldn't want to write about it in my blog. But I get you totally.
ReplyDeleteIsn't this new life amazing! We're making it out!
Wonderful post. Thank you.
My best always,
Sean
Inspiring! Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteI say it so often
ReplyDeleteeveryone else says it so often
you are so inspiring.
and
more than that
you have such a great way of sharing
of telling your story.
Wow--what an inspiring story. I read your post to my husband I think it really hits home. We win Sean's blog and found you through his blog. Keep doing the right things! Hopefully, we will have a story to tell a year from now! Blessings--Bonnie
ReplyDeleteI love that story. :)
ReplyDelete