When it comes to your nutrition you have to Plan, Prepare, and most importantly, Commit! Create your meal plan. Do your shopping. Set aside time to prepare your food. This is what separates the winners from the frustrated. Time to get serious. That’s my #1 nutrition tip for you. Get Serious! And that’s how you get results.
the journey's end is worth the weight
A Personal Weight Loss Blog
What is your number one motivation to reach your weight loss and fitness goals?
Mine is to increase my energy and feel good. And of course to look good 😉
What’s yours?
Introduction
My name is Patrick, I am 32 years old from Toronto, ON and for most of my life I have been over weight. 😔
As a child I was a normal regular sized kid but as I reached 8,9,10 years old, my weight began to amplify. I loved food! Growing up in a Portuguese family, food was always available and in large portions! Breakfast usually consisted of donuts or fresh bread from the bakery slathered with butter and endless glasses of milk. Lunch was usually a sandwich or junk food. Dinner always consisted of lots of potatoes and meat, never any veggies. I most often had seconds, with lots of soda throughout the day followed by snacks like cookies and chips until I was sick to my stomach. Being a child it never dawned on me that the endless amount of food I was stuffing my face with would eventually become an enormous problem in my life. Nor was I warned.
When I became a teenager and throughout high school I was at least 50lbs over weight. Gym class was an embarrassment. I had never joined any sports teams because I believed I was not psychically fit enough to even try. When I reached 19 I had finally slimed downed and reached a normal weight for my height (I’m 6 foot). I was getting attention from women, something I had never gotten growing up and it felt great. I was at an all time high and thought I finally had a grip on my weight until suddenly my father passed away. I was devastated. Not having the tools or coping skills to deal with the loss, I turned to food for comfort. It was the only way I knew how to deal with my emotions like so many others. Before I knew it, the pounds began to creep up again. I had lost my girlfriend and in no time at all I was back to my fat old miserable self again.
Throughout my twenties I continued to gain weight with many failed weight loss attempts. When I was 28 I had reached a whopping 290 pounds! With the encouragement of a personal trainer friend of mine I hit the gym! Within 7 months I had lost 80 pounds! Although I was proud of my accomplishment, I had done it in a unhealthy way. Mostly with the use of dangerous weight loss pills and stacks (a combination of fat loss pills). As I came off the pills and diet, the weight came right back within a year or two.
I am now 32 and as of Jan 8/12 I was at my highest weight ever, 300 pounds! I knew I had to do something. Just walking 10 minutes to and from the store to get groceries was exhausting. Getting up off the couch was a task, having to do anything physical was draining. My energy came mostly from sugary sweets, I had headaches all the time, depression, anxiety, I went up to a 3-XL shirt size and was sicken with the way I looked and I felt terrible on a daily basis. I couldn’t believe I let myself slip back to being obese so I decided to do something about it!
On this same date I made a commitment to myself to begin working out and completely change my eating habits. I am determined to lose 100 pounds and reach my goal weight of 200 pounds in a one year period. As of Jan 31, I am down to 288 pounds. Although I have a long journey ahead of me, I plan to stick with it and lose the 100 pounds by Jan 8/13, exactly one year from which I started. This time I will be keeping it off and maintaining my goal for life!
I encourage you to join me and to let it all out here folks, with me! Share your stories, struggles, ups, downs, tips, thoughts and anything you wish to help you along your journey! With this blog I am hoping to inspire and also be inspired by all of you! I am looking to offer support to others like me in my shoes with an open blog free to share what is on your mind. I want to be right there with you along on your journey, helping you reach your goal too!
No one said it’ll be easy but together it is possible! You are not alone, this is an open community blog so check back often, bookmark the page and get ready to be the healthiest person you have ever been and say goodbye to the fat guy!
