Michael88
New member
Ok so let me go back about six years or so.
I won’t lie; this was a very shitty time for me in all honesty.
To say I was unhappy would have been an understatement.
Whilst at school I had been bullied over my looks, this had crippled my confidence well and truly, which was a great shame considering how much of a fun loving kid I was back then.
Ever the clown of the school and not one to really think about my chubby image I lived up my reputation and loved nothing more than to entertain, but I guess this garnered the attention of a few undesirables, a by-product of which was some very childish bullying.
“You’re a fat ugly freak!â€
“Look at Mike’s fat arse, it hangs off the stool!â€
“You’re too ugly; you’re going to die a virgin!â€
“No one fancies you Michael!â€
I reacted in much the same way others in my position had, I took to comfort eating. This coupled with the additional choice of staying indoors meant the calories had nowhere to run.
Over the span of about two years I grew larger and eventually maxed out at 18 stones. I know now that this number is nothing compared to some of the other individuals on this site but at the time I felt as if I had buried the needle.
At this weight I became paranoid, self-conscious and majorly fed up with my state of being. To head into town for even the most menial task became a struggle physically as well as mentally. I was convinced that everyone was looking, everyone was laughing. I felt hideous and believed that all others shared this opinion. I was always comparing myself to other people; I’d think that all my friends were fitter and better looking than me. And I have to admit, it made me very jealous and bitter sometimes. They all seemed to have the care free life. All of them had partners and were enjoying the wonders of being in a relationship.
I would cry over the notion that I was ultimately missing out on life. Thinking that I would never experience all the things my friends were currently enjoying. I mean, why the hell would any woman want to look at me? I’d tell myself that each and every day.
I remember building up the courage to leave the house one night. My best friends had invited me to the local bar and were looking forward to my arrival. However on the way there my clothes began to press up against my body in the wind. I felt that people could see my shape under my baggy black clothes and it devastated me.
I rushed home, hid away in my room and cried.
The very next morning I decided to change. Driven by a pretty potent mix of anger and a new found determination I opened the door of my house, took a deep breath and ran to the end of my street. I was so unfit I stood on the corner of the road holding my chest and gasping for air. Perhaps running wasn’t a good start, but at least it WAS a start!
I returned home, got changed and went for a walk. This eventually led to a bigger walk, then an even bigger walk. A few weeks later I got a new bike. And it was to be this bike that would change me for the better.
I became addicted to cycling. Starting off small I’d go out for an hour or so. Much as with the walking this eventually grew into more intensive workouts. Within a few months to a year I was out nearly everyday for up to 4 hours or more, wind, rain or snow. As it was a mountain bike I would push both myself and the terrain constantly. I was lucky that I lived in such a hilly area. The woods, fields and stretching moorland and countryside became my playground. It was beautiful and became a driving factor in constant temptation to "work out".
The weight began to drop off me. To my surprise I had no stretched skin. Perhaps this was due to the fact that I had also been dabbling with weight lifting around the same time. It wasn’t until the end of the year that I purchased a weights bench and began to combine the two routines weekly.
After just over a year I shed 6 stones in weight and tried my best to tone up my body to keep avoiding any loose skin.
My confidence levels grew ten-fold and I was becoming the happy person I once was. Not only that but I felt extremely healthy and positive mentally.
With this new found confidence I enrolled at university and decided to grab life by the horns, become independent and never again become the recluse I once was.
I was finally happy.
BEFORE & AFTER:
As promised due to putting on a few more stones at university, here is my new thread for my second round of weight-loss http://weight-loss.fitness.com/t/53897/weight-loss-round-2
Feel free to follow my new progress.
All the best.
Mike.
I won’t lie; this was a very shitty time for me in all honesty.
To say I was unhappy would have been an understatement.
Whilst at school I had been bullied over my looks, this had crippled my confidence well and truly, which was a great shame considering how much of a fun loving kid I was back then.
Ever the clown of the school and not one to really think about my chubby image I lived up my reputation and loved nothing more than to entertain, but I guess this garnered the attention of a few undesirables, a by-product of which was some very childish bullying.
“You’re a fat ugly freak!â€
“Look at Mike’s fat arse, it hangs off the stool!â€
“You’re too ugly; you’re going to die a virgin!â€
“No one fancies you Michael!â€
I reacted in much the same way others in my position had, I took to comfort eating. This coupled with the additional choice of staying indoors meant the calories had nowhere to run.
Over the span of about two years I grew larger and eventually maxed out at 18 stones. I know now that this number is nothing compared to some of the other individuals on this site but at the time I felt as if I had buried the needle.
At this weight I became paranoid, self-conscious and majorly fed up with my state of being. To head into town for even the most menial task became a struggle physically as well as mentally. I was convinced that everyone was looking, everyone was laughing. I felt hideous and believed that all others shared this opinion. I was always comparing myself to other people; I’d think that all my friends were fitter and better looking than me. And I have to admit, it made me very jealous and bitter sometimes. They all seemed to have the care free life. All of them had partners and were enjoying the wonders of being in a relationship.
I would cry over the notion that I was ultimately missing out on life. Thinking that I would never experience all the things my friends were currently enjoying. I mean, why the hell would any woman want to look at me? I’d tell myself that each and every day.
I remember building up the courage to leave the house one night. My best friends had invited me to the local bar and were looking forward to my arrival. However on the way there my clothes began to press up against my body in the wind. I felt that people could see my shape under my baggy black clothes and it devastated me.
I rushed home, hid away in my room and cried.
The very next morning I decided to change. Driven by a pretty potent mix of anger and a new found determination I opened the door of my house, took a deep breath and ran to the end of my street. I was so unfit I stood on the corner of the road holding my chest and gasping for air. Perhaps running wasn’t a good start, but at least it WAS a start!
I returned home, got changed and went for a walk. This eventually led to a bigger walk, then an even bigger walk. A few weeks later I got a new bike. And it was to be this bike that would change me for the better.
I became addicted to cycling. Starting off small I’d go out for an hour or so. Much as with the walking this eventually grew into more intensive workouts. Within a few months to a year I was out nearly everyday for up to 4 hours or more, wind, rain or snow. As it was a mountain bike I would push both myself and the terrain constantly. I was lucky that I lived in such a hilly area. The woods, fields and stretching moorland and countryside became my playground. It was beautiful and became a driving factor in constant temptation to "work out".
The weight began to drop off me. To my surprise I had no stretched skin. Perhaps this was due to the fact that I had also been dabbling with weight lifting around the same time. It wasn’t until the end of the year that I purchased a weights bench and began to combine the two routines weekly.
After just over a year I shed 6 stones in weight and tried my best to tone up my body to keep avoiding any loose skin.
My confidence levels grew ten-fold and I was becoming the happy person I once was. Not only that but I felt extremely healthy and positive mentally.
With this new found confidence I enrolled at university and decided to grab life by the horns, become independent and never again become the recluse I once was.
I was finally happy.
BEFORE & AFTER:
As promised due to putting on a few more stones at university, here is my new thread for my second round of weight-loss http://weight-loss.fitness.com/t/53897/weight-loss-round-2
Feel free to follow my new progress.
All the best.
Mike.
