Are you craving that summer beach body?
Trying to lose the spare tire, get those six pack abs, the firm, tight
butt? If so, then I’m sorry, but we don’t have a whole lot in common.
Your trouble is one of inconvenience, a small dip in the
road where you’ve come to rest. You just need a small push to get
rolling toward your goal again; your way forward is clearly marked.
If, on the other hand, you’ve been cycling through the same
two pairs of pants because you swear that’s as big as you’re going to
get, if you then dread shopping for clothes because you find tacking
another X onto your clothing size humiliating; If you hate being
photographed because you’re not sure you’ll fit in the frame, well, then
maybe we do have some common ground. Because chances are, you’ve found
yourself deep in a hole, using food the way some people use cigarettes
or alcohol: to make yourself feel better.
I was fat in high school, all sugary soft drinks and video
games. In college I managed to shape up, the result of buying into a
chemical-laden low carb diet full of artificial sweeteners (anything to
satisfy that sweet tooth) and a 2nd job that required me to move 40
pound boxes 4 hours a night. After college, however, the combination of a
sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, and being seriously defeated in
the recession-tainted job market created the perfect formula for an
increased waistline as I had to eat more to cope with my circumstances. I
ballooned well beyond the socially-accepted definition of fat: the
labels ‘5’6”’ and ‘280 pounds’ do not belong together under any
circumstances.
My excessive weight was a sore subject for me, so while I
quietly tried to eat healthy and introduce diet strategies that had
worked in the past it was far too easy to succumb to outside pressures. A
diet started Monday would be ruined by drinks and all-you-can-eat sushi
on Thursdays with coworkers (funny how the best intentions of friends
are often counter-productive to building healthy habits). If the week
was especially stressful then by Saturday it was a pint of Ben &
Jerry’s, or a shake from a fast food joint, followed by another
half-hearted attempt on Monday. This is assuming I bothered to make the
attempt at all; don’t get me started on weeks when I didn’t have the
energy to make an effort. Of course, I saw no point in starting an
exercise regimen if my diet was out of whack, which seemed as good a
reason as any to stay on the couch.
Eventually, I’d found that things in my life were sorting
themselves out. I was recovering from the impact the recession had had
on me personally, and I reached a point where I realized that while many
things in my life were getting better my health had been practically
neglected. It was at this point that I strengthened my resolve, and
decided to set everything else aside and make health the primary focus
of my life. Things were going to be different THIS time.
In actuality, I was still stuck in that hole, uncertain of
how I’d get out. As it goes, the universe conspired to drop a line
right in front of me (funny how that happens after you make a decision
and take the first step towards accomplishing it). No more than a week
after I was beginning my plan to seize back control of my health and
wellbeing did I read a Facebook post from an acquaintance from middle
school whose only contact with me throughout that time period was vague
acknowledgement during rides home on the school bus. His name was Luke
Sniewski, and this is what he posted:
ARE YOU OR SOMEONE
YOU KNOW LOOKING TO LOSE 75+ POUNDS? ARE YOU PREPARED TO CHANGE EVERY
DETAIL OF YOUR LIFE TO DO SO? CONTACT ME FOR INFORMATION ON STARTING
YOUR LIFESTYLE TRANSFORMATION.
I didn’t really understand the term Lifestyle Transformation (?)
at the time, but after I pretty much signed my life over to Luke by
committing to his program for 6 months my life began to change in a big
way – pun intended. I’m writing this to tell you that I’ve lost 80
pounds in 16 weeks, and am still dropping weight.
It hasn’t been easy, and I’m not saying that what I’m doing
or how I’m doing it is for you. What I can tell you is what I
personally experienced along the way since I’m sure the the mental
battles we fight are the same regardless of who you are and where you
come from. In the coming weeks I’ll be giving you a first-hand
(admittedly subjective) glimpse of challenges both expected and
unexpected that I’ve faced on the road to a happier, healthier, and
leaner me. And who knows; my journey may provide you with the insight,
motivation, and guidance you need for your own lifestyle transformation.
Luke told me that the only thing he wanted in return for his help was
for me to help others. So, here it goes.
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