It has been quite the journey.
I started my weight loss on Sept 22nd 2014. I had tried on and off to lose weight since the middle of 2010. Got a treadmill, used it sporadically. Got a gym membership in 2012, went half a dozen times. In May of 2014 I weighed myself for the first time in years, I was 337.2lb. I was a little shocked and dismayed, but realized that it was time to do something about it. I worked very hard for a solid month, lots of resistance training and treadmill.
After a month, I weighed myself again, and I was 334.8. I gave up. I wallowed in self pity, not having realized that my lack of progress was mostly due to the fact that I had not altered my diet. I was still eating well in excess of 3000 calories per day (estimated). Although I was disappointed, I still felt the drive to lose weight.
I took the summer off, as I had two vacations planned. I got a dog in early August, mostly because I wanted a dog, but also because it would force me to get out walking every single day, multiple times a day. While down in Edmonton in Sept, I bought a weight plate set and bench, and some bars, to complement my treadmill. Upon returning home, I set everything up, visited a dietician to confirm that my diet I had planned wasn't seriously lacking in any area, and set to work.
The combination of serious cardio, moderate intensity strength training, and a strict diet, made for quick results. My diet consisted mainly of higher protein intake, and lower carbs. Some would look at it and think "You lost weight eating THAT??!?" and yes, yes I did. Breakfasts are 3 eggs, 3 strips of bacon, and 2 pieces of toast. Lunch is ~1 cup of rice with a 6-9 ounce piece of meat, be it chicken, fish, steak, or pork. Supper is a Cliff Bar, and usually 3-4 pieces of fruit. Fiber supplement with breakfast and lunch.
For the first little while, I was rewarding myself every 2 weeks. I quickly realized this was seriously hampering my overall progress. I had set a very aggressive goal of 15lb/month. I quickly reduced that to 1 reward per month, upon reaching that month's goal. I sustained that average for 7 months. My weight loss has slowed recently to around 10lb a month. My overall average is 14, so I really cannot complain.
I write this blog post, my first, because this morning I weighed in at 199lb, after a battle with 203lb. I am not finished, my final goal is 175lb and 10% body fat. This is the first time I've been under 200 since my middle/late teens (I'm not actually sure). I feel amazing, and compared to what I was before, I think I look pretty good too. I only hope my progress can inspire some of you, as it has so many of my friends and family.
Take care, and good luck.
--Matt
