Weight Loss Success Stories: David Lost 165 Pounds!

I’ve been overweight or obese my entire life, and like a lot of people, have tried over the years various diets and programs to lose weight. By 2009, my weight had escalated to 402 pounds, and I was feeling rather hopeless and resigned to the idea that maybe I’d never be able to slim down, that maybe this was the body I was meant to have and that I should just accept it and stop trying. Then, in January 2010, I met Richard Simmons.

He offered to help me lose weight, and although I was hesitant at first, I took him up on his offer. I began taking his aerobics classes and keeping food logs (lists of everything I ate and drank), and he would advise me on how to eat healthier. I can say, without a doubt, that working with Richard changed my life. The opportunity that he gave me is pretty rare, but Richard’s role in my weight loss is mostly as a cheerleader and supporter. It was my hard work and determination that led to me losing over 165 pounds – and still counting!

I was actually rather scared when I decided to start losing weight. I would think about all the failed diets and the pounds that I’d regained over the years, and I thought that if I couldn’t lose weight this time, than I’d really be a failure. So, at the beginning, I just wanted to see if I could find a way to make weight loss work for me, and, to that end, I kept my goals simple, and focused on one day at a time.

Simple things like bringing a healthy lunch with me to work, and going straight to the gym on the way home. I worked on cutting out sodas and eating more fresh produce. It wasn’t until I lost around 50 pounds that I set my first weight loss goal, which was to lose 100 pounds. I gave myself an incentive – a trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain, because with 100 pounds lost, I’d be able to fit on roller coasters, which I hadn’t been on in a decade, since I was booted off a coaster because I was too big for the harness.

My next goal after that was to lose 52 more pounds, which would make my weight an even 250. I reached that goal, and, for the past year, have been working towards my current goal, which is to lose 30 more, bringing my weight to 220 pounds. I’m currently at 235 – it’s hard, but I’m still plugging away!

At the beginning, my biggest motivator were the numbers on the scale. I wasn’t certain I’d be able to lose weight, so when I first saw that I was 5 pounds down, then 10 pounds down, it started clicking in my head: “I can do this! It’s working!” Then I started thinking about what else I could do, what other changes I could make to be even healthier.

To capitalize on this feeling of success, I started a weight loss chart that still, to this day, hangs in my closet. It’s a simple line graph that I update every week, and because it’s in my closet, I can see it every morning when I get dressed and be reminded of my successes and goals. I share every chart update on my blog, www.keepitupdavid.com – It’s still a huge motivator, and it’s now 9 pages long!

I’ve had my share of plateaus – some lasting a few months – and there were times during those plateaus where I thought, “If I’m trying everything and not losing weight, then what’s the point?” That would lead to unhealthy choices or a binge and those never feel good. What keeps me from giving up completely, even in the rough times, is reminding myself of all the amazing things I’ve been able to do because of my weight loss. I recently went horseback riding for the first time since I was a kid, and rock climbing for the first time ever – and both are activities that I could never do at 400 pounds. Every time I easily fit in a booth at a restaurant or buckle a seat belt on an airplane, I’m reminded of all those years when I couldn’t do those things. I never want to go back to that.

A lot of fruits and veggies, and a lot of them raw. Lean proteins, like egg whites, chicken, and fish. My carbs are limited, but I love english muffins or oatmeal as part of my breakfast. I’ve recently started keeping protein powder around, as a quick way to get some protein after a workout. I don’t take many supplements, but I do take Omega-3 pills at my doctor’s recommendation.

I LOVE produce and tend to go on kicks of certain fruit or veggies until I get tired of them. I recently was buying brussel sprouts all the time, and right now I’m totally into kiwis. My all-time favorite fruit are pears. Oh – I just discovered pickled green tomatoes, and I could eat them a jar at a time, but I won’t, because the sodium adds up quickly!

What’s helped me most is eliminating the temptation to begin with, and I do that by planning. Having a rough game plan of when and where I’m going to eat during the day is a good start. I’m less likely to pick up a cupcake or a bag of chips if I know that I have a really delicious dinner planned. If a temptation arises anyway, then I try to sleep on it. I try to never act on impulse.

First, I try to specifically identify the temptation – if I’m craving something sweet, I figure out what it is exactly: a cookie? ice cream? Once I nail down what the temptation is, I give it a day to see if it’ll go away. If it doesn’t go away, I figure out a way to satisfy it without feeling guilty.

I aim for 6 workouts a week. A typical week includes 3-4 workouts with a significant focus on weight training, and 2-3 cardio-based workouts. Those cardio workouts may be aerobics classes that Richard Simmons teaches, a run, swimming laps, or a cardio machine at the gym. I try to never do the same thing two days in a row, just to keep things fresh.

I don’t like working out at home. There are too many distractions, and I feel it’s more of a commitment, and I’ll get more out of a workout, if I do it away from home. My gym is less than 10 minutes away, so it’s easy to get there!

My life is completely different, and for the better. The health-related answer to the question is that I’m sleeping better, have more energy, and it’s done wonders for my blood pressure and cholesterol levels. But what I’m really enjoying are all the little things. Shoe shopping has become easier – I’m down a shoe size, from 14 to 13, and 13 is the upper limit for most retailers. So I don’t rely on catalogs or online shopping anymore, and that’s a great feeling.

I continually astound myself with the things that I’m now able to do. I ran my first 10K in November, and running over 6 miles without stopping used to be something that was never within the realm of possibility. It’s fun sneaking through a crowd without having to ask EVERYONE to scooch over!

Every once in a while, even now, I’ll unexpectedly see my image in a mirror or window or in my periphery and I’ll think, “Who isthat?” A moment later, I’ll realize it’s me. It’s ME. Those moments are the greatest, because I’m seeing myself for a brief second in a whole new light, and the person I’m seeing is vibrant, happy, and oh-so-much healthier!