When I began down this road to better health back in 2008 I was a 500 plus pound guy that was in pain from the second he woke up to the second that he fell asleep, I couldn't walk a quarter of a mile and was unsure how long that pace could be kept, In a word I was scared. The way that I ate on a daily basis was as I see it today disgusting, sacks full of processed greasy food one after the other while I attempted to fool myself that it wasn't that bad. That person was me, I wore those shoes and walked them daily, When I think back to then and who I was compared to who I am today it is unbelievable that I allowed it. Over the weekend I how do you say? Busted ass with my workouts and stuck to my calorie allowance stricter than a boarding school teacher having a bad day. Saturday I did 45 minutes on the stationary bike at the gym averaging 99RPM's which was awesome and I was so close to getting that 100 RPM average that I have been hunting, after the bike I did an hour weight lifting routine and as I type this am still feeling my chest. Sunday I was feeling it and was deciding on whether I would go to the gym or take a bike ride and Wify came up with the idea of a hike, We ended up hiking part of the bike trail that I ride and ended at 5 miles total for the day.
The guy that struggled to walk a quarter mile now hikes 5 miles for fun, an old stationary bike bought off of craigslist that kick started some extra movement has turned into mid to high 90's RPM rides on gym stationary bikes and being held back by weight isn't something that I get down with any more. I can't tell you what exactly it was that did it, and what worked for me was simply sticking to the plan that I made for myself and I know that this sounds like I am simplifying things but eat less move more is pretty much what I did. I set a goal for myself and tried to stick to that plan, The things that I do these days that come naturally to me are the things that I had to train myself to do back when I was a couple hundred pounds heavier. Reaching for a piece of fruit instead of a grip full of cookies or potato chips is what I do now, I rarely miss a day where I do at least something physical for exercise verses back then it was rare for me to miss a day with the PS2 controller in my hand, I much prefer the trails and the gym to killing Notorious Monsters in Final fantasy 11 online.
My intake limits are now 2000 calories per day and I am still struggling to get there on some days, Saturday I was ok but on Sunday I only made it to 1885 total and somewhat forced calories for the day. Last night we made turkey sandwiches for dinner last night and half way through my second sammie which were made on Deli slims I was very full, I finished the sandwich and looked at my excel sheet only to find out that at 6:30 pm I had nearly 500 calories left for the day. Adjusting to the new 2000 calorie limit that I have now is odd to me because I have been eating 1700 for the last couple years and that number is whats sort of ingrained into my head and its just natural for me to feel when I have reached that limit. I changed my excel sheet to reflect the 2000 calorie budget now and am still taking double takes when I input numbers because the remaining balance of calories always looks high to me now.
Ounce upon a time 2000 calories stuffed into a brown bag with greasy corners and cellophane wrapped processed meats was a single meal, perhaps even a before meal snack in some instances and here I am struggling to get myself up to 2000 for an entire day because of habit. My life has changed in so many ways that I couldn't even begin to tell you all of them because I am sure even I don't know how completely different things are for myself. However it's cut I am glad that I am here and not there right now in my life, I have no clue who said this but even though I am not quite there I have to agree with it these days "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels" I guarantee that it was someone who was formerly fat that created that gem. Being able to remember how 500 plus pounds felt compared to where I am now is night and day and I can only imagine what 275 pounds will feel like because the last time I was there I was not even a teenager. What does thin feel like? that question will go unanswered by me for now but I can tell you that "thinner" is more than an amazing feeling when 500 is the number that you started at and I honestly appreciate everything that I am able to do now because of the hard work.
With that the end will come to this episode of as the fat guy turns, I'm off to see the wizard or at least the stationary bike and some weights so for today? That's all I got.
The guy that struggled to walk a quarter mile now hikes 5 miles for fun, an old stationary bike bought off of craigslist that kick started some extra movement has turned into mid to high 90's RPM rides on gym stationary bikes and being held back by weight isn't something that I get down with any more. I can't tell you what exactly it was that did it, and what worked for me was simply sticking to the plan that I made for myself and I know that this sounds like I am simplifying things but eat less move more is pretty much what I did. I set a goal for myself and tried to stick to that plan, The things that I do these days that come naturally to me are the things that I had to train myself to do back when I was a couple hundred pounds heavier. Reaching for a piece of fruit instead of a grip full of cookies or potato chips is what I do now, I rarely miss a day where I do at least something physical for exercise verses back then it was rare for me to miss a day with the PS2 controller in my hand, I much prefer the trails and the gym to killing Notorious Monsters in Final fantasy 11 online.
My intake limits are now 2000 calories per day and I am still struggling to get there on some days, Saturday I was ok but on Sunday I only made it to 1885 total and somewhat forced calories for the day. Last night we made turkey sandwiches for dinner last night and half way through my second sammie which were made on Deli slims I was very full, I finished the sandwich and looked at my excel sheet only to find out that at 6:30 pm I had nearly 500 calories left for the day. Adjusting to the new 2000 calorie limit that I have now is odd to me because I have been eating 1700 for the last couple years and that number is whats sort of ingrained into my head and its just natural for me to feel when I have reached that limit. I changed my excel sheet to reflect the 2000 calorie budget now and am still taking double takes when I input numbers because the remaining balance of calories always looks high to me now.
Ounce upon a time 2000 calories stuffed into a brown bag with greasy corners and cellophane wrapped processed meats was a single meal, perhaps even a before meal snack in some instances and here I am struggling to get myself up to 2000 for an entire day because of habit. My life has changed in so many ways that I couldn't even begin to tell you all of them because I am sure even I don't know how completely different things are for myself. However it's cut I am glad that I am here and not there right now in my life, I have no clue who said this but even though I am not quite there I have to agree with it these days "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels" I guarantee that it was someone who was formerly fat that created that gem. Being able to remember how 500 plus pounds felt compared to where I am now is night and day and I can only imagine what 275 pounds will feel like because the last time I was there I was not even a teenager. What does thin feel like? that question will go unanswered by me for now but I can tell you that "thinner" is more than an amazing feeling when 500 is the number that you started at and I honestly appreciate everything that I am able to do now because of the hard work.
With that the end will come to this episode of as the fat guy turns, I'm off to see the wizard or at least the stationary bike and some weights so for today? That's all I got.
As Ever
Me
Thats all I got ? That is more than enough, and thanks again for the inspiration
ReplyDeleteYour point about habit is very encouraging. If I just stick to this long enough, it will become second nature... i'll hang on to that thought.
ReplyDeleteNothing tastes as good as thin feels is what I'm telling myself this morning as everyone ELSE is enjoying bagels and cream cheese! *sigh*
ReplyDeleteBelieving it is sometimes easier said than done.
i read your story completely it was really inspiring and touching.
ReplyDeletepersonal trainer