Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 November 08, 2009, 02:51:21 PM Over the past five months I've been secretly doing some rebuilding. After years of passively taking this thing I've rebuilt apart I finally started putting it back together this past June. I've hinted at it in my "Summer projects" thread - it's the top secret project I said IU would not reveal until it was completed (though a few forum members knew about it for a month or so). And it is now completed (or the first phase and second phases of it are, anyway). I am EXTREMELY pleased with how this rebuilding project has gone....And it had nothing to do with the T-Bird or any other car. Nor is it my house or any other building. It is not a mechanical or inanimate object of any kind.It's me. I have rebuilt me. From the ground up.Some history:Back in late January 1998 I was involved in a serious car accident that left me injured and unable to do my job as a mechanic. Since then I'd kinds bounced around between a few unfulfilling or low paying jobs and finally started TC Electronixx years ago, which kept me alive until recently (I won't go into details about it, I"ve already posted about that).Anyway, during those years I had let my body completely go to hell. I became very lethargic, gained a shiznitload of weight, and let virtually every muscle in my body atrophy to the point I couldn't walk across a parking lot without being winded. My athsma got bad to the point I thought I had COPD. On top of this, I had become addicted to both painkillers (Percoset) and anti-anxiety medication (Ativan), both of which had been prescribed to me by my doctor since the accident. My life, in a physical sense, was circling the drain at the same time it was heading down the shiznitter in an economic sense (the TC Electronixx thing). I was in such bad physical shape that I actually had to get the handicapped sign for the car. After getting it I was too ashamed to actually use it, but it did get that bad.For years I said to myself "Someday I'll turn this ship around" but that "someday" kept growing more distant. Then in late June I had an epiphany. I don't even know what it was that caused me to say enough, but on the first day of summer I woke up and said "This is the day". I immediately went on a crash diet and gave up all pills that day. The pills were easy. One sleepless night was the extent of my withdrawal, and I have not looked back at them since (I still have an unopened bottle of percoset in my dresser drawer, dunno why I even kept it).The diet was harder. Much harder. I had become quite used to eating whatever, wherever, whenever, I wanted. My eating habits were disgusting (but very pleasant at the time). The first time I stood on that scale I scared myself. I figured I weighed ~260 pounds or so. My eyeballs almost hit the floor when I saw I had let myself balloon to 293 shaging pounds. The only thing that kept my jaw from hitting the floor was that my gut prevented it. I set my goal that day: Drop at least 93 pounds. I wanted to see a "1" in front of my weight number again, instead of the "3" that I came very close to.It wasn't just diet. I wanted to lose the weight, but I also wanted to get back into shape. A few weeks into the diet I bought a home gym, I was walking (and when the weather was good, swimming), and just recently I bought a treadmill. Anyway, after a bit under 5 months, on Saturday, November 7, 2009 I finally hit that goal yesterday. I got on the scale and it displayed 199 pounds. That's a loss of 94 pounds in under 20 weeks. I went from a size 44 pants down to a size 34 (and still shrinking). I was so fat I actually refused to wear jeans, and was wearing jogging pants, but I had to buy a pair of dress pants to go to my brother's wedding last year and they were size 42 and tight, so 44 sounds about right when I started the diet. My "XL" leather jacket which was previously too small now hangs off me. I feel 20 years younger and look at least 10 years younger. I think I'm in better shape now than I'd ever been (I was skinny before, but not "in shape"). And since losing the weight and getting into shape I have not needed my athsma puffer at all. Not even once. And all back pain from the accident is gone, except for some minor discomfort after a particularly hard day at work. I think I've found the cure for back injuries: Let the muscles completely disappear, then let them grow back from scratch!Anyway, here's the chart I'd been keeping, tracking my weight loss. The first week had a silly amount of weight loss, but that's to be expected when you suddenly cut about 30,000 daily calories from your diet (plus I was probably retaining a lot of water). After that first week I averaged about 5 pounds a week, until recently when I reigned the diet in a bit to prevent continuing losing weight when I hit my goal (I wanted to achieve the goal, not smash through it). So here are the results, in numbers, of my "Back away from the fork" diet: Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #1 – November 08, 2009, 03:03:42 PM Congrats dude. Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #2 – November 08, 2009, 03:34:00 PM Congrats! Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #3 – November 08, 2009, 03:41:41 PM Man, that is awesome. I'm sure you probably feel worlds better, and have more energy too.I've always taken for granted my weight, because i've been skinny since I was a kid, but now I'm starting to put on a few pounds, and while I like the idea..I want it to be muscle, not flab in gut or legs lol.I think my biggest thing is the amount of soda I drink...it IS starting to get a little out of hand...10-12 cans a day.Anyway, congrats! Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #4 – November 08, 2009, 03:44:44 PM Congrats on the hard work,and taking the effort to actually make things happen.How about a new pic? Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #5 – November 08, 2009, 10:58:45 PM This is an awsome thread, seems like many people out there could benefit from your plan. No matter how you live, it always results in things you dont like about yourself. Getting up the ambition to change is something many refuse to do. I like the fact that you stopped the pain killers and you can move around now without getting winded. Sounds like progress to me man!Next summer is looking even better now isnt it? You should be a totally different person.maybe i should rebuild myself,, my interpersonal attitued about things that get to me.either way, I am happy for you.I have a friend who let himself go so long that i fear he will be the death of himself. No clothing fits that are locally available. Food bills dominate his budget , computers enable him to stay stationary, yet he has no job and is on social secuity disability. He's only 35. I worry about him so much but in the same breath i dont waste time telling him he did it to himself. Depression is his main problem and over time to include a half dozen stents near his heart, he's just about all fugged up for getting any life back he wasted.survival of the fittest , looks like your there! Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #6 – November 08, 2009, 11:21:10 PM Nice, so think you might be all energetic enough to make a few special "final run" sequential kits? Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #7 – November 09, 2009, 05:04:45 AM Congrats on making such a difficult but beneficial life change. :)I've been looking at a 3 for the first number on my scale for the better part of a decade now. I don't like to, but I've had a LOT of trouble keeping weight off when I lose it. I can get down to the 280lb range pretty easily but I have a lot of trouble keeping it there or lower. My natural weight (and by natural I mean without controlling myself and nothing more) is between 330 and 340lbs. I'm 6' and built pretty large, so that's a 42-44" waist on me.You're living my dream man. I don't want to get under 200, but if I could weigh in at around 225 I would be one happy man. At this point I would be happy to just keep it below 260. Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #8 – November 09, 2009, 05:37:06 AM Congrats on the achievement. I bet you feel like a whole new man. Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #9 – November 09, 2009, 09:40:52 AM Very Impressive, congrats! Glad to hear you did it the old fashioned way too! Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #10 – November 09, 2009, 10:13:10 AM Congrats, awesome!!! I just realized, you weigh less than me(6' 1", 205), I'd be happy to loose 15lbs... Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #11 – November 09, 2009, 04:46:59 PM Congrats :DYou're reminding me that I have to loose some weight. I weighed 155 for the longest time (I'm 5'8") and I weighed myself for the first time in two years and I now weigh 168 . I've gotta loose about 15 lbs. I think I just need to start jogging again since I sit all day at work.... Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #12 – November 09, 2009, 04:58:38 PM Congrats! I've been trying to loose some weight too. I'm 6' 230lbs and I would be happy being below 200. Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #13 – November 11, 2009, 08:56:20 AM Sorry for taking so long to reply, guys, I've been crazy busy and have only been able to nip in and out of the forum on my Blackberry lately. Thanks to all for your support and warm comments. They mean a lot to me. I can't reply to everyone, but I've picked out a few posts to reply to:Quote from: FordTruckFreeek;298073Man, that is awesome. I'm sure you probably feel worlds better, and have more energy too.It's strange... I have been expending much more energy (between exercising and the new job) and taking in much less energy (probably 1/4 the calories I used to take in) yet my energy reserves are much, much higher.QuoteI've always taken for granted my weight, because i've been skinny since I was a kid, but now I'm starting to put on a few pounds, and while I like the idea..I want it to be muscle, not flab in gut or legs lol.I think my biggest thing is the amount of soda I drink...it IS starting to get a little out of hand...10-12 cans a day.I took my weight for granted for years. I was skinny as a rake (6'3", ~180 lbs) right up until that car accident in my late 20's. I'll never take my weight for granted again. As for soda, I used to drink a half dozen cans daily. I gave it up entirely and now drink a half dozen bottles of water a day (I drink bottled water only because I don't trust my well, not because I'm a bottled water drinking snob)Quote from: jcassity;298146I like the fact that you stopped the pain killers and you can move around now without getting winded. Sounds like progress to me man!It is progress of the best kind. And as a side effect I made my car slightly faster to boot What is it they say, you gain a tenth for every 100 pounds of weight you take out? Now my car should be under 20 seconds :hick:QuoteNext summer is looking even better now isnt it? You should be a totally different person.Indeed. Not only will I be much healthier, I'll actually have money :DQuoteI have a friend who let himself go so long that i fear he will be the death of himself. No clothing fits that are locally available. Food bills dominate his budget , computers enable him to stay stationary, yet he has no job and is on social secuity disability. He's only 35. I worry about him so much but in the same breath i dont waste time telling him he did it to himself. Depression is his main problem and over time to include a half dozen stents near his heart, he's just about all fugged up for getting any life back he wasted.I hadn't had any heart problems yet, but I was a ticking time bomb. My getting winded so easily had to be hard on my heart (or more likely was a result of an overworked heart). Anyway, heart disease runs in my family - my grandfather and several uncles dropped dead from sudden heart attacks. One uncle was only in his late 30's. I did have one thing in my favour, though - they were all heavy drinkers and smokers, and I am neither (I gave upo smoking about 8 years ago).Quote from: bhazard;298150Nice, so think you might be all energetic enough to make a few special "final run" sequential kits? Not a chance. Enjoying the freedom of not dealing with people too much to ever look back Quote from: 187sks;298173Congrats on making such a difficult but beneficial life change. :)I've been looking at a 3 for the first number on my scale for the better part of a decade now. I don't like to, but I've had a LOT of trouble keeping weight off when I lose it. I can get down to the 280lb range pretty easily but I have a lot of trouble keeping it there or lower. My natural weight (and by natural I mean without controlling myself and nothing more) is between 330 and 340lbs. I'm 6' and built pretty large, so that's a 42-44" waist on me.You're living my dream man. I don't want to get under 200, but if I could weigh in at around 225 I would be one happy man. At this point I would be happy to just keep it below 260.I can honestly say I can relate. It's not an easy task. I have quit smoking, I've quit the painkillers, and I have lost all this weight, and I can tell you that by far the weight loss was the most difficult of the three. People say I made it look easy by dropping so much weight so fast, but it was not even close to easy. Even my best friend (the television) was against me, constantly bombarding me with fast food commercials. At least smoking and drugs have social stigmas that encourage you to quit, but trying to diet you're constantly assaulted with "peer pressure", so to speak. The big reason I succeeded is that I am one pig-headed son of a bitch, and when I set my mind to something it gets done or I kill myself trying. My problem was in finally setting my mind to doing it. For years I'd said to myself "Some day", and that day kept just out of my reach until now.Quote from: thunderjet302;298232Congrats :DYou're reminding me that I have to loose some weight. I weighed 155 for the longest time (I'm 5'8") and I weighed myself for the first time in two years and I now weigh 168 . I've gotta loose about 15 lbs. I think I just need to start jogging again since I sit all day at work....I remember 168 pounds... I think I weighed that when I was 14 or so When I first started this diet I was not gonna tell anyone, for fear that if I failed I'd look a fool. The weight came off so fast, though, that I had to tell friends & family, else everyone would think I was dying of cancer or something. Even once it became obvious that I was succeeding I kept it secret from the forum because I figured it'd be more dramatic if I posted after the weight loss rather than during it. Now I've just got to contact Subway, lie my ass off and say I lost the weight by eating their cardboard subs, and try for a Jared-esque endorsp00get deal Anyway, I will post some before & after pics later on... Quote Selected
Big goal achieved yesterday. BEFORE/AFTER PICS ADDED 12/11/09 Reply #14 – November 11, 2009, 10:20:27 AM Major Congrats Thunder Chicken!!! You're an inspiration to those of us who need to lose the midsection. No offense intended to anyone here, I'm referring to myself. Quote Selected
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