No More Execuses

Ace Em

New member
My name is Adam. I'm 30 years old. And I'm fat. Really fat. As in I need to lose a 100 lbs. However, most of my life I haven't been fat. I've spent most of my life in great shape, growing up an athlete and spending my time playing sports, training and living an active lifestyle. When I graduated college in 2007 I weighed a lean 165 lbs (6' tall). My downfall was entering the real world because I just did a terrbile job of balancing the demands of a new career with eating healthy and finding time to exercise. I completely failed and as I gained weight I was even less motivated to work out. That was totally backwards thinking because I remember how disgusted I felt once I gaind 20 lbs and yet I did nothing about it. I could have immediately started working out again and I could have lost that 20 lbs in a month or two. Instead I let it sprial even more and more out of control.

By the end of 2009 I had gained about a 100 lbs and that has basically been my peak (265 to 272) over the past four years. I have tried numerous times to get back into shape. A couple of times I've lost 40 - 50 lbs but I always fall back into my bad habits. I am just really, really tired of being unhealthy. Some of the things I love most (playing basketball and running) I haven't been doing because I am so out of shape. When you are used to playing basketball at 165 and being really good, trust me, it is no fun trying to play with an extra 100 lbs on you.

I just got back from a week long vacation in a tropical paradise and obviously I know how much weight I've put on, but going on this trip just really got me thinking about why I have wasted these last few years of my life in terms of being able to live an active lifestyle. So I don't want to sit here and list a million reasons why I want to lose weight or why I haven't succeeded in the past or list a zillion different goals. I know I need to get my act together and regain the active lifestyle that I always knew growing up and up until I was a young adult.

As a former athlete I know exactly what constitutes a "healthy" diet and the work I need to put into the gym. I am a firm believer in a balanced diet (lean meats, veggies, fruits, healthy grains, etc.) and hard work in the gym (cardio and weight training). My goal is to use this journal as a tool to keep focussed on what I am setting out to acomplish and to hopefully meet people who are on a similar journey as myself.

Cheers.
 
You have the tools to succeed, having once been very active and athletic. Now you have to put it all to use and shake off the cobwebs :). I know exactly how you feel. I was able to walk 2 hours in the hot sun, up and down hills, without struggle. Now I can barely walk 20 min up a slight hill without feeling like my legs are going to buckle. It's incredible how our bodies can waste away like that.

I'm excited to see your progress! Good luck!
 
Thanks Loch. It's hard because you remember what your body used to be able to do and now you can only do a fraction of it! I guess we just need to find a way to use that as motivation instead of getting frustrated over it.

Today was a good day. Battling a brutal cold so no exercise today. Based on how I was feeling today it's probably going to be a few days before I can work out and not cough up a lung.

FOOD 2/3/14:
Honey nut cheerios w/skim milk
Turkey sandwich on wheat w/mustard & lettuce
Power bar
Carrots
Grapes
Grilled chicken breast
Protein shake

EXERCISE:
None

Oh I forgot to write down my starting weight........I weighed in on 2/1/14 at 268.4 lbs.......probably the highest I've ever been was 272 right after Christmas. 265 has been the awful number I have been around for the past few years.

My goal is to get back down to 165. That's what I weighed when I graduated college in 2007 and I was in the best shape of my life during college so that is the goal! I made an Excel chart and I think I can lose a 100 lbs over the next 7 months.

2014 is the year I regain my old lifestyle!
 
Hey we're pretty close in weight, I weighed in today at 272 (was 280 at the beginning of Jan). Let's both make this a good year!

Good job on the food. What's your plan for exercise going forward?
 
I hope you feel better tomorrow! I hate being sick when I have the motivation to exercise. :/ Like Loch said, do you have a specific plan for exercise?
 
Uggh sick as a dog. I worked from home yesterday but after been on vacation all last week I needed to be back in the office today. Ugggggh.

My exercise plan will be a lot of cardio (running) and weight training. It is going to be very, very rough stepping back on the treadmill. But I guess you gotta start somewhere and the only place to go from here is up. I am hoping to be able to start exercising in the next couple of days. Hopefully today will be the worst I feel.

Once I lose a good amount of weight (probably at least 40 lbs) I will start playing basketball again. Until then it just isn't fun trying to play when I'm this out of shape and the last thing I need to do is blow out a knee!
 
Ahhhhhhhhhh finally starting to feel better. Hoping to be able to start exercising on Friday and then over the weekend too. Fingers crossed.

FOOD 2/4/14:
Slimfast
Turkey sandwich on wheat with lettuce & mustard
Power bar
Carrots
Grapes
Yogurt
Banana
Egg whites
Protein Shake
Bowl of cherrios with skim milk

EXERCISE 2/4/14:
None
 
What a busy couple of days!!!

Last Wed & Thurs were both perfect days eating wise. Friday was my cheat day (lunch & dinner) and I felt soo awful afterwards. Amazing, just over a week following a healthy diet and I felt so sick after eating a fatty and salty meal. It literally felt like I had been licking a huge block of salt!!!

Mondays are my weigh in days and I weighed in this morning at 260.2 lbs, down 5.6 lbs the first week! I know I won't see that kind of number every week, but it was nice seeing a decent loss this first week!!!

I am going out of town this Thursday - Monday to visit my brother so that is going to be a huge, huge challenge for me in terms of following a healthy eating plan since we will mostly be eating out.
 
Into the 250s!!! Weighed in at 258.0 this morning. Still have a long, long ways to go. But I was up into the low 270s right after the holidays so it feels good to be moving in the right direction!
 
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