Hello, My name is Matt.
I have been overweight sense my mid 20s. I am 46 now. It was not very bad as I was always quite active until I was 31. I had a 2 year old daughter that was and still is the light of my life. I had such plans for her and I to do the things I loved to do. Hike, Ski, Bike riding and many other active things. But I got a bone disease called avascular necrosis in my hips. It stopped me dead in my tracks. I also had to give up what I was doing for a living. I became a stay at home dad and started an on line business at home. This was great for my daughter but I just started to grow and grow. I did learn how to control the pain and work around my newly acquired "Disability". One thing I never allowed it to do was be completely disabled. What I mean is that I was determined never to be those obese people riding in the electric carts at Wal-Mart. Please do not take me as being insensitive. I am really not being that, I just always had that frame of mind. I never would wine or look for sympathy or put blame on other things about my weight gain. I know that this was ALL my fault. Not even the avascular necrosis. But back to what I was saying. When I go to Walmart, let say. Yes I do use my handicap parking. But I walk in and walk around the place.
I also have to add about my eating. YES, I have always been an overeater. I came from a family that Food was the center point of all in life. That was my upbringing. But the up side is that I have never really been a junk food, fast food, cakes candy and ice cream kind of person. I can totally live without any of that. I have always liked good healthy foods. My weakness is cheese and pizza. Oh BOY THE PIZZA!! Also my preferred choice of drink is water. I drink gallons of it. I think because of this. I have been kind of an oddity of an obese person. When I would go for check ups. I would always get kind of an attitude or maybe I should say a feeling from whomever was doing my check up that they were thinking, "Oh here is another overweight guy that is going to have all the same problems. But then they always have a surprise reaction when my blood pressure and blood work taken. From that end I look very healthy. I also have never been one to have a problem with moving and getting around without being out of breath. I do not get chest pains. I am just fat as heck.
Well in 2011. Changes started happing around me. At this time I was now a single dad. Wife left for another guy 5 years before. I was kind of fine with that. Things were not well from about 2000 on. But I just hated how she abandoned my daughter for the most part. The up side is my daughter is with me and raising her has been the greatest thing I have done with my life. But back to 2011. With the economy, my business took a dive. My mom got leukemia and died. She was 81. My dad was in poor heath anyways and he started to get very bad then he died in March of 2012. He was 85. But with all of that going on my business just went belly up. Good thing is that I have one of my best friends get me a job with him. A real good one. I started that one in Sept. 2011. It is a job that is very active and I would about 50 hours a week. Got great benefits. Not the best pay, but I have never lived at a high level where I have a bunch of bills. The thing is that it keeps me active. Over the past year and a half, I have lost some weight. But nothing great. If anything, because of the job , I started eating worse. I also have a soda machine right there and I drank much more Pepsi then I ever did. Well it was at me being at this job a year that I started "Wanting" to make the change. But I did it very slowly This lifestyle change takes time to get your head on right and really ready to do it. But this was got me to start. With the death of my parents. I found that they did not set things up well with their estate. This made me realize that I needed to set things up so that when I die. It will be a little easier for my daughter. So I went and got life insurance and made a will. In getting the life insurance, I had a woman come over and give me a check up. When I was weighed I was quite surprise at what it was( I never would every weigh myself over the years) I was at 296. I had thought I was well over 300 maybe even 350. I really do not "Cary the weight well" I look allot fatter heaver then I am. I am 6'6" and truly have a smaller frame. I was a skinny kid up to about 23-24. So that was nice to hear. Of course I was notified that I was going to have to pay a higher premium but I got the insurance. Now I started setting things in motion. I did not jump onto a diet. I did not start an exercise regiment. But I started getting my head in the right place. I also started dropping my food portions. I still ate like I did. I would not say I was on a "Diet" But I started cutting back. I also started doing a ton of research on the internet about diet and exercise. I then went to the doctor for a check a few days after thanksgiving of '12. Again blood pressure great. and I was set up for blood work. Well it took me a month to get in for that because I work allot. I had to wait for days off for Christmas time. got the blood work. Well I did not find the best doctors office, it was a month later and a bunch of hounding to get my results. Well they turn out to be really good. Again, getting a surprised reaction. He came into the office ready to find all kinds of things wrong. This guy, he LOVES to write "Scripts" for everything. Tons of them. Well it was doctors and medication that got me my hip problem. But I did get weighed in at 308lbs. Oh Boy!! Well he could not find anything but one little thing and he jumped on it like a wolf on a deer. There were signs of cholesterol starting. That parts per million in the blood junk. Well he did not sound very convincing to me about how bad it was. He just starting in on putting me on Lipitor. Well I asked him, " how bad is this. Is it high and I have a problem or is it slight what. He did not want to really get that far into it, just wanted to write that script. I asked again. is the serious problem or just the beginning signs. I really could not get an real answer and I am like this with doctors because I have never met one I can trust. But what I could gather was that this was the start and not very high. I am NOT going to get on meds at this time. I figured that I was now going to start things that I have been planning and I was going to fix it with a good diet and exercise. I figured that now was the time because things are NOT bad yet.
So about 3 weeks ago. I started my plan. I set a goal to be down to 200 lbs by the time of my daughter's high school graduation. That is May of 2014. I do not want to loose the weight too fast. I do not want to be all flabby. I watch what I eat. I feel I have a good diet plan. I am taking in way under 2000 calories a day. No sugars. Not breads. Lots of veggies and skinless white chicken breast meat. And now my treats are fugi apples. I love them and I always hated apples. Now I love those. I go out for walks almost every night after dinner. many time with my daughter. It is a great time for us. She is also wanted to get fit and watch what she eats. I have also slowly brought in weight lifting and I am trying to do push up and sit ups. I just cannot get the sit ups. Just too fat. Push ups are about 5. But I figure that I do not want to hurt myself. So I am being careful. I will set a goal for 7 today. well I weighed myself for the first time yesterday. I am at 190. I know that this is mostly water weight and I hope not but some muscle loss. But I think that I am starting to burn the fat. Many people are seeing it in my face. So I know I am going in the right direction. but now I need some input and help from others. This is why I am here.
My biggest concern is exercise because of my condition in my hips. I cannot run, jog or even do a brisk walk. My hips prevent that and I do not have access to a pool. I think that in a short wile, I will be able to bike ride again. I tried it about 6 years ago and I was really big then. So any input on work outs for me would be very appreciated.
Thanks for reading my story and I hope that maybe I can inspire others. I am going to start taking vids and pics to later on do a web site or something to help out others that are overweight.
Matt in Phoenix
I have been overweight sense my mid 20s. I am 46 now. It was not very bad as I was always quite active until I was 31. I had a 2 year old daughter that was and still is the light of my life. I had such plans for her and I to do the things I loved to do. Hike, Ski, Bike riding and many other active things. But I got a bone disease called avascular necrosis in my hips. It stopped me dead in my tracks. I also had to give up what I was doing for a living. I became a stay at home dad and started an on line business at home. This was great for my daughter but I just started to grow and grow. I did learn how to control the pain and work around my newly acquired "Disability". One thing I never allowed it to do was be completely disabled. What I mean is that I was determined never to be those obese people riding in the electric carts at Wal-Mart. Please do not take me as being insensitive. I am really not being that, I just always had that frame of mind. I never would wine or look for sympathy or put blame on other things about my weight gain. I know that this was ALL my fault. Not even the avascular necrosis. But back to what I was saying. When I go to Walmart, let say. Yes I do use my handicap parking. But I walk in and walk around the place.
I also have to add about my eating. YES, I have always been an overeater. I came from a family that Food was the center point of all in life. That was my upbringing. But the up side is that I have never really been a junk food, fast food, cakes candy and ice cream kind of person. I can totally live without any of that. I have always liked good healthy foods. My weakness is cheese and pizza. Oh BOY THE PIZZA!! Also my preferred choice of drink is water. I drink gallons of it. I think because of this. I have been kind of an oddity of an obese person. When I would go for check ups. I would always get kind of an attitude or maybe I should say a feeling from whomever was doing my check up that they were thinking, "Oh here is another overweight guy that is going to have all the same problems. But then they always have a surprise reaction when my blood pressure and blood work taken. From that end I look very healthy. I also have never been one to have a problem with moving and getting around without being out of breath. I do not get chest pains. I am just fat as heck.
Well in 2011. Changes started happing around me. At this time I was now a single dad. Wife left for another guy 5 years before. I was kind of fine with that. Things were not well from about 2000 on. But I just hated how she abandoned my daughter for the most part. The up side is my daughter is with me and raising her has been the greatest thing I have done with my life. But back to 2011. With the economy, my business took a dive. My mom got leukemia and died. She was 81. My dad was in poor heath anyways and he started to get very bad then he died in March of 2012. He was 85. But with all of that going on my business just went belly up. Good thing is that I have one of my best friends get me a job with him. A real good one. I started that one in Sept. 2011. It is a job that is very active and I would about 50 hours a week. Got great benefits. Not the best pay, but I have never lived at a high level where I have a bunch of bills. The thing is that it keeps me active. Over the past year and a half, I have lost some weight. But nothing great. If anything, because of the job , I started eating worse. I also have a soda machine right there and I drank much more Pepsi then I ever did. Well it was at me being at this job a year that I started "Wanting" to make the change. But I did it very slowly This lifestyle change takes time to get your head on right and really ready to do it. But this was got me to start. With the death of my parents. I found that they did not set things up well with their estate. This made me realize that I needed to set things up so that when I die. It will be a little easier for my daughter. So I went and got life insurance and made a will. In getting the life insurance, I had a woman come over and give me a check up. When I was weighed I was quite surprise at what it was( I never would every weigh myself over the years) I was at 296. I had thought I was well over 300 maybe even 350. I really do not "Cary the weight well" I look allot fatter heaver then I am. I am 6'6" and truly have a smaller frame. I was a skinny kid up to about 23-24. So that was nice to hear. Of course I was notified that I was going to have to pay a higher premium but I got the insurance. Now I started setting things in motion. I did not jump onto a diet. I did not start an exercise regiment. But I started getting my head in the right place. I also started dropping my food portions. I still ate like I did. I would not say I was on a "Diet" But I started cutting back. I also started doing a ton of research on the internet about diet and exercise. I then went to the doctor for a check a few days after thanksgiving of '12. Again blood pressure great. and I was set up for blood work. Well it took me a month to get in for that because I work allot. I had to wait for days off for Christmas time. got the blood work. Well I did not find the best doctors office, it was a month later and a bunch of hounding to get my results. Well they turn out to be really good. Again, getting a surprised reaction. He came into the office ready to find all kinds of things wrong. This guy, he LOVES to write "Scripts" for everything. Tons of them. Well it was doctors and medication that got me my hip problem. But I did get weighed in at 308lbs. Oh Boy!! Well he could not find anything but one little thing and he jumped on it like a wolf on a deer. There were signs of cholesterol starting. That parts per million in the blood junk. Well he did not sound very convincing to me about how bad it was. He just starting in on putting me on Lipitor. Well I asked him, " how bad is this. Is it high and I have a problem or is it slight what. He did not want to really get that far into it, just wanted to write that script. I asked again. is the serious problem or just the beginning signs. I really could not get an real answer and I am like this with doctors because I have never met one I can trust. But what I could gather was that this was the start and not very high. I am NOT going to get on meds at this time. I figured that I was now going to start things that I have been planning and I was going to fix it with a good diet and exercise. I figured that now was the time because things are NOT bad yet.
So about 3 weeks ago. I started my plan. I set a goal to be down to 200 lbs by the time of my daughter's high school graduation. That is May of 2014. I do not want to loose the weight too fast. I do not want to be all flabby. I watch what I eat. I feel I have a good diet plan. I am taking in way under 2000 calories a day. No sugars. Not breads. Lots of veggies and skinless white chicken breast meat. And now my treats are fugi apples. I love them and I always hated apples. Now I love those. I go out for walks almost every night after dinner. many time with my daughter. It is a great time for us. She is also wanted to get fit and watch what she eats. I have also slowly brought in weight lifting and I am trying to do push up and sit ups. I just cannot get the sit ups. Just too fat. Push ups are about 5. But I figure that I do not want to hurt myself. So I am being careful. I will set a goal for 7 today. well I weighed myself for the first time yesterday. I am at 190. I know that this is mostly water weight and I hope not but some muscle loss. But I think that I am starting to burn the fat. Many people are seeing it in my face. So I know I am going in the right direction. but now I need some input and help from others. This is why I am here.
My biggest concern is exercise because of my condition in my hips. I cannot run, jog or even do a brisk walk. My hips prevent that and I do not have access to a pool. I think that in a short wile, I will be able to bike ride again. I tried it about 6 years ago and I was really big then. So any input on work outs for me would be very appreciated.
Thanks for reading my story and I hope that maybe I can inspire others. I am going to start taking vids and pics to later on do a web site or something to help out others that are overweight.
Matt in Phoenix
