Just wanted to talk about my decision to make a life Style change this year.

 

I am a bigger man @ 6'3" & large framed and come from a family of big men. I have always been very active but with my promotion 3 years ago into management from a heavy diesel tech for 18+ years I had put on about 20+ pounds.

 

I have been in a size 38 Wrangler pants for 20 years just out of college and I had made myself and my wife a promise about the time I started wearing 38 pants that I would never ever buy a size 40. Fast forward 20 years and after the holiday season I was tipping the scales at 281+- and my 38 pants were bulging at the seams and It was hard to get them buttoned.

Back was killing me full time, energy level was extremely low among other things creaping up on me made for an easy decision to make the change before things went too far.

I am lucky and have zero health issues at 42 and decided I wanted to keep it that way and didn't want to go down the road of diabetes as it runs on one side of my family as does heart issues on the other side but the family with heart issues is not affected longevity wise all live well into the 90's.

 

I had bought an elipticle last spring but other than trying it never took time to actually use it up until the start of this year.

 

Made a change to my diet and how I eat, I like food a lot and ate a lot and portions were huge.

 

I basically cut out all milk and dairy yogurt and substituted almond milk and coconut yogurt, Also went as Gluten free as possible including my beer, cut out as much extra carbs and bread as possible and that alone cut down on the use of butter, I still eat cheese but I watch the portions. Cut out all foods that cause inflammation "Which is the incubator of most major diseases" as per my Chiro who did a couple of BIA tests  and will continue about once a month to determine body fat and amount of inflamation. The diet I am on is basically along the lines of what is now considered the "Paleo" diet. Mostly common sense, we eat as much organic and non GMO food as possible.

 

Fast forward 3 months of nothing but diet change "more eating habit change than diet"  and working out every single day for 30 minutes on the elipticle and I am now down 42 lbs "239 this am" and my back feels awesome my energy level is up My wife now sleeps in bed again as she said I quit snoring completely after loosing just 15 lbs so she has gained something from it too. Plus I just bought my first pair of size 36 pants again in over 20 years and that feels the best of all. The problem is I have to upgrade my entire wardrobe as everything I own is absolutely huge on me now, I was to the point that 2xl shirts were getting snug now they all look like tents on me.

 

I never would have imagined that I could drop this amount of weight this fast but I am still dropping and have a goal of 225 for a target which would be a 55lb loss "not knowing what I was getting into had set a 40 lb minimum loss which I just passed this week" and 225 at this rate should be achievable in another 6 weeks +-, then I want to start doing some cross training to tone my mid section. The first few weeks I started at 20 minutes of fairly easy resistance on the elipticle and I thought I was going to die and it took me over a half hour to regain my breathe and composure, now I am up to 75% resistance / incline and climbing and am doing 10 minute miles and faster at the higher levels so I am pushing myself harder all the time not just standing on it going through the motions and within 5 minutes am back to normal and that feels awesome having a cardio system that recovers so fast now .

 

My wife loves what I am doing and it has inspired people all around me at work / friends and family are all in awe and are all asking me every day what they can do or are just telling me that I am inspiring them which is awesome as well.

 

My wife tells people she feels like she is having an affair with another man as I have changes so fast. lol.

That is super W&F!!!!  What an inspiration you are.  I weigh only 130 lbs and being diligent with what we eat and how we eat it has always been a big issue here.  Once you throw out the junk & crap you never return.  I'm a health advocate and I'm so happy for you and this BIG life change.  Love ya, moparmom

I knew better as My wife and some others in her family were raised in a holistic healthy environment and always ate pretty healthy and I do like to eat healthy but it was just stubbornness and the love for all food that got me to where I was. My wife has always had healthy food around and we have always raised our own chemical free grass fed beef. My wife is jealous that I am going all in all at once and have showed her up so to speak now. Since she is a runner and even before she was she is a super pasta junky as well as being addicted to the sugar and chocolate in Starbucks coffee. I drank a ton of coffee which I also cut out cold turkey and went with all tea now, I had real cream in my coffee and I drank it strong and dark which was a no no in my life change to get get off caffine and coffee meant getting rid of another inflammation causing item.

 

My wife is the baby of 7 kids, the older 3 were raised in a traditional meat and potatoes fashion with full immunizations and all have health and weight issues and getting worse into their mid/upper 50s, My mother in law changed and went all natural for the younger 4 kids who are all super healthy "Except for my wifes next older sister who was killed by a drunk driver about 18 years ago" they were not immunized either, ranging from 41 to 51 now and all in good shape and on the slim/skinny side.

Can you elaborate on foods that cause inflammation? There seems to be do much info out there I have a hard time sorting out what's truth and what's opinion.

If you can cut out all wheat and corn and eat meat and veggies you'll loose weight.

And here when I read the title I thought you "went to the other side" :ahhh:

Here is a copy of the diet plan I am on from my Chiropractor, The only difference is that organic grass fed beef or Bison is ok, what needs to be eliminated are any grain fed or finished beef and all processed meats.

The reason to cut out the oranges and grapefruit and honey is it has a really high glycemic index which promotes inflammation the worst which I drank OJ and grapefruit juice by the gallon and ate honey and peanut butter every day.

The only part I do not follow is I eat eggs every day, mostly hard boiled which he says is ok but I do fry them in extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil which are both ok too.

 but this follows along with the beef, the only store bought eggs that are approved are egglands best as they are not caged or fed commercial feed, they are fed a higher quality feed but My mother in law has chickens so we get farm fresh eggs every week which is the best.

 

TOM TOM TOM............   I swing both ways, I like both straight women and lesbians.

 

Good thing my wife isn't around.

Get the book, eating right for your type. Blood type diet. It works. Wild game, deer, elk, etc are great lean meat. Pepperoni made from deer is awesome too. Lol.

_{I also take a concoction of medical food and super foods twice a day, one scoop of metagenics ultra inflamx and dynamic greens as well as one ounce of Braggs apple cider vinegar and Young living Ningxia red juice mixed with an organic juice like cranberry ect. And take my vitamins and supplements religiously, use both Young living which is the highest quality products on the planet and also use metagenics products as well.}

_{Helps that my wife is a distributer for Young living and my sister in law is a chiropractor and dealer for metagenics and I get all products at cost between the two.}

 

_{http://www.metagenics.com/node/5731}

_{http://www.naturalhealthyconcepts.com/dynamic-greens-mango-berry-p-nutri-dyn.html?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=%7Bkeyword%7D&utm_campaign=Product%20Listing%20Ads}

_{http://www.swansonvitamins.com/bragg-organic-apple-cider-vinegar-32-fl-oz-liquid?SourceCode=INTL401&CA_6C15C=541657832}

_{This stuff is totally awesome from Young living, Ningxia red juice.https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/wellness/antioxidant-support/new-ningxia-red}

Get the book, eating right for your type. Blood type diet. It works. Wild game, deer, elk, etc are great lean meat. Pepperoni made from deer is awesome too. Lol.

My next step in a week or so is to get a full blown blood work panel done to see what I need to adjust to keep my healthy change going without causing other issues.

_{I also take a concoction of medical food and super foods twice a day, one scoop of metagenics ultra inflamx and dynamic greens as well as one ounce of Braggs apple cider vinegar and Young living Ningxia red juice mixed with an organic juice like cranberry ect. And take my vitamins and supplements religiously, use both Young living which is the highest quality products on the planet and also use metagenics products as well.}

_{Helps that my wife is a distributer for Young living and my sister in law is a chiropractor and dealer for metagenics and I get all products at cost between the two.}

_{http://www.metagenics.com/node/5731}

_{http://www.naturalhealthyconcepts.com/dynamic-greens-mango-berry-p-nutri-dyn.html?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=%7Bkeyword%7D&utm_campaign=Product%20Listing%20Ads}

_{http://www.swansonvitamins.com/bragg-organic-apple-cider-vinegar-32-fl-oz-liquid?SourceCode=INTL401&CA_6C15C=541657832}

_{This stuff is totally awesome from Young living, Ningxia red juice.https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/wellness/antioxidant-support/new-ningxia-red}

I think you can get the same thing from Red Bull. Lol.

I did the elliptical for 4 months, 500-1200 calories each day.  That thing works wonders.  I don't care for the stationary bike or treadmill.  I ate like crap and still looked incredible so eating good and doing that would shove the weight off quick, as you have experienced.  

 

Do pushups and that will take care of the rest.  I started with 1 and after I while I was doing 40 at a time.  Just get on your knees instead of your feet if you can't do a full one and build up to a full one.  Just do that 1 little pushup once or twice a day.  The next day, try for 2.  Then 3.... sounds easy...because it is.  I was amazed at how many I racked up, plus it builds everything.  I don't like the gym crap because it just builds one specific muscle, and blehhhh I want to build them all.  

 

Keep at it.  

W&F

 

That's quite a story!  More power to you. 

 

I think it's great when we can inspire others as well as be inspired by others.

Cool man!  Glad to hear it!  it is a lifestyle change, for sure.  I made one a couple years ago.  Went from an oilfield trim 240 to a military trim 195.  

That's awesome Wild & Free. I'm glad to see you got your health in check and living a better life now!

 

My wife tells people she feels like she is having an affair with another man as I have changes so fast. lol.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, someone had to do it!!

 

Post up some pix of yourself............before, during and after.

 

I turn 50 on Sunday................still 176-180lbs. at 5' 11".

 

Simple carbohydrates are the main cause of the obesity epidemic......................they are easily digested and cause a spike of insulin in the blood which causes your body to store it as fat.  Noticed I said SIMPLE carbohydrates...............sugars, pasta, processed grains, rice, junk food beer/alcohol, etc..  Carbohydrates as a whole take LESS calories from your body to digest than do protein and fat...............eating more protein and fat in relation to carbs make your meals "stick to your ribs" and making you feel fuller, longer.

 

Good luck to you.

I won't let my wife take pics of me "During". I have my fat pics from our last vacation to Florida last December but I have to figure out how to get at them after our computer crash and backup and will get some of the "after I hit my goal which will also be a lifelong during as well" this summer while out on the water on my pontoon again. 

 

You are right about the simple super refined carbs and sugars that are rampant in our food supply now days. Even the gluten, Gluten is natural but not in levels found in our GMO crops now days, small grains are "designed" to have more protein than what occurs naturally and as protein content rises so does gluten which is a product sought after as fillers and binders in almost all types of foods now days. Our bodies and digestive systems are not meant to process the amount of gluten in the food chain now. Same goes with eating commercially grain fed and finished beef, cattle nor any other animal on the planet were meant to eat "Whole Grains and especially our new GMO Frankenstein crops".

Just to give you all and Idea of 6'3" and 275-280ish looks like from Florida last year.

 

The Beach pic was on Sanibel island in December, the one on the boat was a Catamaran rum and reggae sunset cruise to a reef to go snorkeling off Key west in July 2014.

The man boobs, back fat rolls, double chin overall obese look is all gone just a bit of muffin top and small amount of belly fat yet to go. From those pics I look like I have a ostrich neck now, didn't realize how much fat and from where I lost, even my hats had to be dropped down a size.

Your turn dorkweed.  

http://youtu.be/7e3IsMKVVJU

Just saying..............not arguing!!!!!