I have been working on getting fit and healthy since the end of May 2004. I am getting close to my 2 year anniversary of changing my lifestyle. I started out wanting to lose weight, but I found out along the way that I wanted not just to lose weight, but to be physically fit. As happy as I am to not have to carry around the extra almost 300 pounds, I think I am more excited about the changes that adding exercise and weight training have made in my life.
Throwing the switch
My 7-year-old daughter, Katy, is what motivated me to change. I had always thought I would work on losing weight so that the other kids would not make fun of Katy because her dad was fat. I had the best intentions to do that. I tried several times.
In May of 2004, Katy was about to be in the 1st grade in a few months. I was topping out the scales at 562.3 pounds. I never knew how much you could love someone until my daughter was born. Katy's mom is in very poor health. My parents are in their early 80's. At almost 600 pounds, I could not get any life insurance. My own health was going down fast. It hit me like
a bolt of lighting that I was about to fail in the most important thing I would ever be tasked to do in this world: take care of my daughter. If I did not do something, I was going to eat myself into an early grave and leave my baby girl when she would need me the most. At that moment in time, it became unacceptable to me to continue to be morbidly obese.
Losing this much weight is a lifestyle change and a journey. You tend to discover many things along the path to your goals. Katy is, and will always be, a huge motivation for me. Initially, I was motivated to get healthy just to be alive to help her grow up. As I lost weight and could become more physically active, an entire vista of possibilities opened up. I could not only be alive – but as a healthy, active dad, Katy and I could go to amusement parks, play soccer, bike together, hike, run and play – a million and one things. I could give her not only a secure childhood, but one filled with fun memories.
I realized that I still had a few items on my life's "to do" list as well. I feel motivated to be a better, more complete person. I just signed up for beginning acting classes. It was something I always wanted to try but, you know, when you are morbidly obese, you tend to suppress most of the dreams you have.
Lastly, I am motivated by a burning desire to help others escape the clutches of morbid obesity. I don't live in the past and I know I can't go back and change the fact that I let a large part of my life go by while being morbidly obese. What I can do is dedicate myself to doing all that I can to help fight obesity in children and young adults. I can't change my own past, but maybe I can help some people have a present and future free from the heartbreak of morbid obesity.
Here I am at 562.3
Here I am last week, I realized another goal to coach Katy in her soccer league.
... and one shot of Katy
I still have some pounds to lose and they are coming off about 1 to 2 pounds per week. The journey has been fantastic. If I can help anyone, please let me know. We are all in this fight together. If a former couch potato like me can improve their fitness, I know you can!
I wish you the very best. This site 3FC is just fantastic - so many great people willing to help and give support.
Sneaking up on 300 pounds lost.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
