My One Year Anniversary Diary

BenL

New member
Hi, Everyone! I've tried to write one of these diary things before but did a terrible job of keeping it updated. Since the one year anniversary of me deciding it was time to start to lose weigh is coming up I thought I'd start another one for the stretch run. Here is some background info.

My name is Ben and I live in Chicago, home of the deep dish pizza. I'm 19 years old and on my last Birthday(August 20th 2008) I realized that I had almost one year before I would be leaving for college. I'm going to the U of Michigan after going to community college at home for a year. One of the things that has got me really excited about going out of state for school is that I won't know anyone there. It's a real chance at fresh start, which is rare. That night after my birthday party I jumped on to the scale out of pure curiosity and was shocked to find that I was 293 lbs. 7 pounds from 300! I guess you could call that a wake up call. I had never thought of myself as someone who weighed 300 pounds or even someone who thought they were obese. And going over the pictures the next day of the party I decided that this would be the perfect time to lose the weight that had defined me for so long. And next year when I meet all those new people they'll be able to see me for who I really am and not instantly judge me for being obese.

So I began my diet on August 21st 2008 at 6'0 and 293 and while exercising wasn't new to me, having had been on the Football and track teams in high school. A lot of the work outs programs I knew were more about gaining strength and not about slimming down. Since I was broke, I couldn't afford any of the gyms around were I lived so the only piece of fitness equipment I had was a ratty old treadmill.

It's been around 10 months since that day and through diet, exercise, and a support from my family I think I've made some huge strides. I stepped on the scale this morning and I was looking fine at 239. That's 54lbs lost!!! And looking at pictures from last year I can definitely see a difference in my face and body.

But here is the problem. I have 63 days till I start school and am no where near my one year goal of 199. Trying to lose 40lbs in a little less than 10 weeks is crazy and borderline suicidal. So I've revised it and am going to try and get down to 215 by September 1st. It's crunch time and I'm going to increase both the frequency and intensity of my work-outs, restrict my diet even more(I used to have cheat days where I'd eat 3000+ calories worth of McDonald's), and write in this journal every day!
 
6/28

Hey everybody!

So I just got back from running, I did a little more than 2 miles in 30 minutes. I plan on doing 30 minutes of abs and 30 minutes of push ups, dips, and squats a little later.

While I was running I got to wondering. At what weight/BMI/body fat % will my beer belly go away? I don't remember a time at which my stomach didn't hang over my belt. It's definitely getting smaller, over this past year I went from a 42 waist to a 36. Hopefully when I get to 215 my gut won't be so bad.

aRG :banghead:

I just took my body fat percentage using a tape measure and an online calculator. I couldn't fucking believe my body fat percentage is 31.2% It really takes the wind out of your sails when after nearly a year of hard work and losing over 50 pounds, you're still obese.
 
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Hey Ben, I will give ya a little back ground before I reply :)

My name is Adam, I'm 20, and I just finished my first year away from home at school. Started at 320, down to 285, and have been going at it for about 3 months. I'm 6'2, so I weighed more than you and probably just a little higher bodyfat %, but nonetheless, similar stories!

First off, congrats on the 54 lost, and alot of it during the winter too! That is impressive man. I started in the spring just cause i know what a drag it is to be active during the crappy weather.

I think for most people the beer gut is the last thing to go, which is a total drag but at the same time motivation to see it all the way through to finally banish the damn thing!

31% body fat isnt that bad dude, I would guess that the average guy ( I would define average as not toned, but not really "fat") probably has something like 20% body fat. So 11% to get to that is only like another 25 pounds. 25 pounds is doable if you work hard until sept! :D

Kinda jealous that you were smart enough to start before leaving for school though, because no matter what people say, and consciously or not, they judge others based on their fitness as part of a first impression.

Anyways, congrats on the progress and good luck with that last 40!
 
6/29

7th - Hey thank for the support man. I've talked myself down and am back to being confident that once I lost these last 24lbs I'll have a body fat % of at least 25%. Which is in the normal range! Congrats on the 35lbs lost! Yea I figured the year before leaving for school would be the best opportunity I would have to lose weight for awhile, since once I get up there I'll be busy with class, trying to meet new people, ect...

Welcome to day 2 of 66 of my stretch run! I want to apologize in advance if sometimes I sound panic-y or whiny. I'm a world class procrastinator and the idea that I can't put off getting really serious about meeting my one year goal scares the hell outta me. I used to be able to say "Well I got five months before I gotta be ready" Can't anymore!!

Well anyway.... Just got back from running. I ran to my old high school which map-quest says is 1.55 miles from my house, so there and back was around 3 miles. I don't think I would have lost a single pound without my iPod, whom I've named Ian...Ian the iPod. Without the ability to listen to music while running I would have given up long ago. I may have just a record for times "Strawberry Fields" by The Beatles was played continuously.

Ate one egg scrambled, one strip of bacon, and a lot of fruit for breakfast. Now I must go clean because my mother is coming up from St. Louis to visit me and my older brother and if she sees the house in the condition it's in...well let's just say it won't be pretty.
 
hey, i was in a similar situation, but i started out at 330 in jan. I dropped 65 in6.5 moths, and still going strong. i nowhere near as tall as you guys though i am only 5'8" but i have a lot of muscle i presume when i weighed in at 280 i was at 30% and i wear a size 36 too. i still want to get to 200 and i know i have a ways to go, but i figure since we have similar stories, i'll be checking in to see what you are doing to lose and feel free to check in on me. i generally post during the workweek then once on the weekend. good luck with hitting your goal
 
It seems like you are really doing great BenL! I am sure you will reach your goal by Sept 1st. No problem, just keep up the hard work.

What kind of foods are you eating in your diet? What is your average calorie intake? Diet, more so than anything else, will affect your ability to lose weight.
 
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It seems like you are really doing great BenL! I am sure you will reach your goal by Sept 1st. No problem, just keep up the hard work.

What kind of foods are you eating in your diet? What is your average calorie intake? Diet, more so than anything else, will affect your ability to lose weight.

I don't have a lot of variety in the things I eat since I couldn't cook if my life depended on it. I pretty much stick to

- Fruit(Apples, Oranges, Grapes, Strawberries, Bananas and tomatoes mostly)
- Salad(Lettuce, baby spinach, carrots, green pepper, cherry tomatoes, almonds/walnuts, chicken if I have the energy to make it, Parmesan cheese(sometimes), and teaspoon of olive oil)
- Turkey sandwiches(No mayo, No cheese)

I also don't drink anything besides water and the occasional glass of skim milk. All in all I try to stay around 1500 calories which is hard since I don't get hungry often during the day.

hey, i was in a similar situation, but i started out at 330 in jan. I dropped 65 in6.5 moths, and still going strong. i nowhere near as tall as you guys though i am only 5'8" but i have a lot of muscle i presume when i weighed in at 280 i was at 30% and i wear a size 36 too. i still want to get to 200 and i know i have a ways to go, but i figure since we have similar stories, i'll be checking in to see what you are doing to lose and feel free to check in on me. i generally post during the workweek then once on the weekend. good luck with hitting your goal

Hey thanks for commenting! I'm definitely going to check out your journal. I've actually began starting to read through a lot of journals, there more addicting than harry potter books! I just finished the one titled "Here I am! Rock you like a Hurricane" and am already half way through several others. It's great to be able to read people who understand exactly what your going through.
 
6/30

I may have lost two pounds! or I may have lost one...or none. My scale couldn't make up its mind this morning, so I'll call it a wash and weigh in tomorrow.

Welcome to day 3 of 66 of what will probably be the longest 66 days of my life! My mom is up from St. Louis visiting me and my brother, and she brought her world famous stuffed chicken. Baked chicken stuffed with mozzarella and feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and chopped onions. I held strong though and resisted!

In other news....I just got back from running and doing some core work. My abs are sore but I'm definitely feeling/seeing more definition. I can actually feel my rib cage if I suck in my gut enough! Now it's time for a little showa powa and lunch.
 
Nice work Ben, sounds like me today with the scale. I was down at least 1 but it couldnt decide if it was 1 or 2. Oh well.

I hear you on the cooking. About 2 months ago I couldnt cook much, so I decided to learn from my parents before I go and live off campus for uni next year. Last year I relied on the dining hall, and I will tell you that wasnt great for the scale. Now I can do just about anything on the grill and know how to make some great side dishes. Im no expert but if you want I could give you some tips on some easy things to make.

Whats up with the not being hungry, eh? (Im canadian :eh: ) I know i should eat more but im never hungry, sounds like you're the same way. I just trust my body to let me know if it needs food and just assume its using fat if im not hungry.
 
7/1

Welcome to day 4 of 66 of the longest 66 days of my lifee!

I woke up around 10 this morning and jumped onto the scale and it read....239! :cuss: So I decided to go back to bed and start the day over. I woke up(again) about 30 minutes ago and am now trying to decide if I should go work out or take the day off.

I know it's only been four days but I haven't even lost 1 measly little pound! I need to drop a little less than 3 a week if I want to hit my goal. So that gives me 4 days to lose 3 pounds or fall behind schedule. :willy_nilly:
 
7/1

Alright so what I've decided is that I'm going to try and be lets concerned with results(pounds lost) and more focused on the journey. Even if at the end of these 66 days I'm not even close to my goal, as long as I can say I tried my best I'll be happy :hurray:
 
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