Trapped in Matter

70LBS Later

I have lost nearly 70 pounds and maintaining the loss. It took me a year to lose 60 pounds of it.

The Short Story:

I was vacationing in New Mexico (December '04), when I decided that it was time to reinvigorate my whole self, my physical body being the most noticeable. I had lost a few pounds about 2 years previous after getting a gym membership with some friends, but gained it back soon thereafter as my gym attendence came to a halt. I was soon back to wearing a size 40 pants. I felt discouraged.

Up until I started this challenge my eating habits were terrible. I basically ate a diet of meat, cheese, and bread and rarely consumed any fruits or vegetables. Processed foods developed by teams of scientists kept me barely alive. I drank lots of soda and avoided water at all costs. Now adays I've been eating whole foods, a mostly organic, vegetarian based diet (avoiding milk & eggs) for about 9 months. Now I can't get enough of the fruits and veggies! I stopped drinking soda and now drink primarily water.

All through my life I've been a little chubby and expected to be "well-padded" for the rest of it. My mother was overweight and I assumed that I would probably follow in her footsteps. The fattest period of my life was around my wedding which was captured by the "before" photograph above. That's my mother standing with me in the photograph. After her death of a heart attack (46 yrs old), I became very concerned with my health, as did my wife (after picture).

When I look at old pictures of myself it's hard to believe that it is me that I'm looking at. I did not expect my change in appearence to be so drastic. It's fun to run into friends and family who haven't seen me since losing the weight because they initially do not have any clue who I am. The first thing people usually ask is how I managed to lose the weight. Many expecting my answer to be the use of medication, some crazy dieting trend, or even an eating disorder.

Here's a brief description of my weekly schedule: 6 to 7 meals a day, perform strength training & cardio exercise 3 days, attend martial arts classes 3-4 days, a little yoga here and there, and daily meditation. No magic pills; just hard work and discipline.

This challenge has been a long and difficult process; however, it has been worth every bit of effort I have invested. It has changed my life.

posted by Crackpot! @ 9:16 PM