robmedina
Sun, May-02-10, 04:06
Hello, I am a 42 year old Dad from NJ. I have battled my weight since I was 6 years old, or should I say I have been defeated my whole life until now.
Growing up I would have spurts of unexplainable weight gain that would last for a few years and then suddenly I would start loosing weight. Looking back it seems like every 4 years was the cycle....1980 thin, 1984 fat, 1988 thin, etc. I did nothing differently to either gain or loose.
As an Adult, I would start getting heavy and it would get to a point where I would start to do something about it- but that meant eating a strict diet and exercising for 2 hours a day 3-4x's a week. I would start loosing and once I got to my weight I could not keep it off because I could not keep that kind of schedule.
Well the last time I was heavy I weighed in at 305 lbs. Determined to loose it forever I started working out. Here I was 42 years old, balding and obese- ok if I am going to be bald I don't want to be fat too! I even had some fat guy take a picture of me on the beach with my shirt off , probably to show all his friends that he wasn't the fattest guy on the beach that day.
So after loosing 20lbs I joined the Body For Life challenge. Where you can win 50K if you are selected winner for best body transformation. in 12 weeks I lost 85lbs. Now I am not promoting B4L, because if I followed their plan I would not have lost as much weight. I had my own plan- eat low carb, low fat, low calorie, high protein. Tons of shakes, protein bars and tuna fish. And work out 6 days a week. My first 4 weeks I did weight resistance training only, my next 4 weeks I did the weights and minor cardio (walking, slow jog) last 4 weeks I did just cardio- I ran everyday for those last 4 weeks, 7 miles each day.
Well I worked my tail off and I ended up being beat by a guy who lost 12lbs of fat and gained 12 lbs of muscle- but the bright side is I looked and felt better.
So anyway, through the process I found that I really enjoy running. So I kept that up but that was it. I started gaining a little weight back. Then my brother was in a car accident and was left paralyzed. Seeing what he and our family had to go through I decided to try and help all paralyzed people by doing a marathon for the spinal cord injury research foundation. I figured a marathon because I have already completed a half marathon and knew I could do it, so I wanted something that was more of a challenge that I would really have to work at.
I joined a running group for support and education. Honestly, without them I would never have been able to do it. Anyway- I learned about carb loading from my fellow runners, so that is what I did. I ended up gaining 25 lbs by the time I completed my marathon. Yup, gained 25 lbs all while running 50 miles a week!
I could not seem to loose it this time- I was running all week- and still not loosing. Calories in vs Calories out? YEah right!
I heard about this diet called the RAW FOOD DIET, where you eat raw organic fruits and veggies. I did that for 20 days. I lost 20lbs and $1000 from my bank account- could not afford to do that long term- jeesh! Well anyway, I felt good but I had zero energy on that diet. In the end I could not sustain that WOE, I gained the 20 back plus another 28lbs before I found out something about myself.
I went online to research why and how I could gain so much weight inspite of the extreme amounts of running I was doing. I stumbled across this thing called insulin resistance disease, or metabolic syndrome. I researched it like crazy and I realized that I had ALL the symptoms. The remedy? Low carb, high fat- protein diet. No need to count calories- eat when hungry, eat till satisfied- HUH?
I have heard of atkins many years ago and like most people I said to myself that is a diet for lazy people..... Well now that I know how my body reacts to carbs I can see why it works.
I do not follow atkins, or really any plan. If you wanted to categorize it, I would say Paleo is the closest. I just think about what early man would have eaten, how often he would have eaten, etc.
I am down 36lbs from that 48lb weight gain. I am 12 pounds away from my primary weight, but 180 or 175 is my real target. I believe I will get there as effortlessly as I got here but in time.
I eat 3 eggs and 6 sausage links for breakfast, skip lunch and eat half a steak and veggies, or 2-3 pork chops and veggie for dinner. I run 2-3x's a week if I feel like it. I do 5 minutes of weights (curls and triceps) 2x's a week.
I am adding some pics I found of me before at 265, this was after I lost 40lbs- I have no pics of me heavier than this- I refused to have my pic taken! (pic on left of the black outfits) then me at the beginning of the body for life challenge through to the end of the challenge.
My wife, who was not heavy at all, went LC when I did and went from 128lbs down to 118- she does not exercises at all- other than being a great mom and all that entails!
I can't wait to post my finally at my right weight pics
Growing up I would have spurts of unexplainable weight gain that would last for a few years and then suddenly I would start loosing weight. Looking back it seems like every 4 years was the cycle....1980 thin, 1984 fat, 1988 thin, etc. I did nothing differently to either gain or loose.
As an Adult, I would start getting heavy and it would get to a point where I would start to do something about it- but that meant eating a strict diet and exercising for 2 hours a day 3-4x's a week. I would start loosing and once I got to my weight I could not keep it off because I could not keep that kind of schedule.
Well the last time I was heavy I weighed in at 305 lbs. Determined to loose it forever I started working out. Here I was 42 years old, balding and obese- ok if I am going to be bald I don't want to be fat too! I even had some fat guy take a picture of me on the beach with my shirt off , probably to show all his friends that he wasn't the fattest guy on the beach that day.
So after loosing 20lbs I joined the Body For Life challenge. Where you can win 50K if you are selected winner for best body transformation. in 12 weeks I lost 85lbs. Now I am not promoting B4L, because if I followed their plan I would not have lost as much weight. I had my own plan- eat low carb, low fat, low calorie, high protein. Tons of shakes, protein bars and tuna fish. And work out 6 days a week. My first 4 weeks I did weight resistance training only, my next 4 weeks I did the weights and minor cardio (walking, slow jog) last 4 weeks I did just cardio- I ran everyday for those last 4 weeks, 7 miles each day.
Well I worked my tail off and I ended up being beat by a guy who lost 12lbs of fat and gained 12 lbs of muscle- but the bright side is I looked and felt better.
So anyway, through the process I found that I really enjoy running. So I kept that up but that was it. I started gaining a little weight back. Then my brother was in a car accident and was left paralyzed. Seeing what he and our family had to go through I decided to try and help all paralyzed people by doing a marathon for the spinal cord injury research foundation. I figured a marathon because I have already completed a half marathon and knew I could do it, so I wanted something that was more of a challenge that I would really have to work at.
I joined a running group for support and education. Honestly, without them I would never have been able to do it. Anyway- I learned about carb loading from my fellow runners, so that is what I did. I ended up gaining 25 lbs by the time I completed my marathon. Yup, gained 25 lbs all while running 50 miles a week!
I could not seem to loose it this time- I was running all week- and still not loosing. Calories in vs Calories out? YEah right!
I heard about this diet called the RAW FOOD DIET, where you eat raw organic fruits and veggies. I did that for 20 days. I lost 20lbs and $1000 from my bank account- could not afford to do that long term- jeesh! Well anyway, I felt good but I had zero energy on that diet. In the end I could not sustain that WOE, I gained the 20 back plus another 28lbs before I found out something about myself.
I went online to research why and how I could gain so much weight inspite of the extreme amounts of running I was doing. I stumbled across this thing called insulin resistance disease, or metabolic syndrome. I researched it like crazy and I realized that I had ALL the symptoms. The remedy? Low carb, high fat- protein diet. No need to count calories- eat when hungry, eat till satisfied- HUH?
I have heard of atkins many years ago and like most people I said to myself that is a diet for lazy people..... Well now that I know how my body reacts to carbs I can see why it works.
I do not follow atkins, or really any plan. If you wanted to categorize it, I would say Paleo is the closest. I just think about what early man would have eaten, how often he would have eaten, etc.
I am down 36lbs from that 48lb weight gain. I am 12 pounds away from my primary weight, but 180 or 175 is my real target. I believe I will get there as effortlessly as I got here but in time.
I eat 3 eggs and 6 sausage links for breakfast, skip lunch and eat half a steak and veggies, or 2-3 pork chops and veggie for dinner. I run 2-3x's a week if I feel like it. I do 5 minutes of weights (curls and triceps) 2x's a week.
I am adding some pics I found of me before at 265, this was after I lost 40lbs- I have no pics of me heavier than this- I refused to have my pic taken! (pic on left of the black outfits) then me at the beginning of the body for life challenge through to the end of the challenge.
My wife, who was not heavy at all, went LC when I did and went from 128lbs down to 118- she does not exercises at all- other than being a great mom and all that entails!
I can't wait to post my finally at my right weight pics