+1 my blog at the bottom of the page or here to help others find it! Thanks!About seven years ago I woke up one day and my size 38 pants were getting tight. I decided to brush off the dust from the scale and see where I stood with my weight. I was horrified to discover that I was a whopping 252 pounds, a number that is forever etched in my mind. My clothes not fitting were the least of my worries. I had major back problems that actually kept me in bed at times for days. I went to see an orthopedic physician and he said I did not have any major back problems, it was all muscular related. I decided I was going to do something about it so I started doing the Atkins diet. I did the diet for an entire year and lost 60 pounds. This is reflected on the before/after photo you see to the left. Unfortunately the weight loss was short lived. I was not exercising and I slowly started gaining weight back. A year ago, I joined Workout Anytime in Knoxville. I started to work out and watch what I was eating, but I started slacking off. Then one day at the end of the summer I read that my cousin Mark had a heart attack. I was a little freaked out since he is not much older than me so I decided to make a conscious effort to work out. Since then I have lost 20 pounds and have gained a lot of muscle mass that I have never had my entire life. I am actually stronger and more physically fit now than I have been my entire life! If you are reading this, and you are overweight I want to encourage you to do something about it. I am writing this blog because another person I grew up with a year younger than me also had a heart attack! Even being overweight 10-15 percent can have serious consequences both physically and financially. Also, just because you are not fat on the outside does not mean you are not fat on the inside, skinny people get clogged arteries too!
In our society, drug use and alcohol abuse are frowned upon, however some of the same people who would never use drugs or abuse alcohol are killing themselves with food. It is never too late to start taking care of your body. People don't struggle with weight, they struggle with choices! If you are extremely overweight do not be discouraged! Simple changes in your lifestyle such as drinking water instead of soda will allow you to start losing some weight. If you are willing to work hard for a year, you can really make some serious progress and you will feel great. Remember, like me, it took years to put on all that weight it does not just instantly go away in a month. Despite the fact that I weigh more now than my first weight loss (212 at the time of this post), I actually have a smaller waist already because I have been working out at the gym. For the first time since I was in college I bought 34" jeans!
Did you know that by taking care of your body you are honoring God? I also believe you honor your family, and also will change your family tree by passing along good habits to your children. It is really not hard once you start making good choices. I was overweight from REALLY bad choices, not because I was not following a fancy diet plan. I did not need to start doing some die hard diet to lose weight, I just had to stop consuming too much food and stay away from the bad ones! The exercise was hard at first, but now it is actually enjoyable. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. This passage as a whole speaks of sexual immorality, but I believe God does not limit it to that.
Update: December 17, 2011: I am happy to report that I am now 196.0 pounds and still working out and gaining muscle mass!
Update: January 28, 2012: I am 18.1 percent body fat and keep making progress!
Update: March 2012: New Blog on Practical tips for weight loss.
Update August 2012: Hit 191 pounds this week! And I fit in a 42S suit this week for episode 2 of Nashville (pictures below)
Did you know that by taking care of your body you are honoring God? I also believe you honor your family, and also will change your family tree by passing along good habits to your children. It is really not hard once you start making good choices. I was overweight from REALLY bad choices, not because I was not following a fancy diet plan. I did not need to start doing some die hard diet to lose weight, I just had to stop consuming too much food and stay away from the bad ones! The exercise was hard at first, but now it is actually enjoyable. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. This passage as a whole speaks of sexual immorality, but I believe God does not limit it to that.
Update: April 4th. Last night I heard TobyMac's drummer Brian Haley give his testimony about a 50 pound weight loss and he quoted Joshua 1:9 which talks about being strong and courageous. Awesome verse, and this was great encouragement to keep going to the gym.
Update: January 28, 2012: I am 18.1 percent body fat and keep making progress!
Update: March 2012: New Blog on Practical tips for weight loss.
Update August 2012: Hit 191 pounds this week! And I fit in a 42S suit this week for episode 2 of Nashville (pictures below)
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| On my way to the Set of ABC Nashville! Wore this suit in Episode 2 |
Great story! Very inspirational and motivating.
ReplyDeleteGood for you, congrats
ReplyDeleteThanks for the inspiration. God Bless.
ReplyDeleteInspiring story! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteVery inspiring story.
ReplyDeleteI've lost 60+ lbs in 6+ months! Walk everyday, eat lite food in smaller portions & be happy! Change your attitude/outlook when losing weight. Great Job & thanks 4 sharing.
ReplyDelete