Unexpected Support

So, I’ve been working on a blog post for a few days now and just kind of been floundering around.  I don’t want my blog to only be about how much weight I’ve lost.  I want it to be more about the life changes that I’ve implemented that are going to get me there.  I want it to be about changing my outlook on things.  I’ve been thinking of how I’m going to do things different this time, compared to all the times in the past.  Losing all the weight I want to would be meaningless if I can’t keep it off.

When I was 18, I could bench press more than 450lbs and I’ve no idea how much I could leg press, because the equipment I had access to maxed out at 2500 pounds.  In my late 20s, I was back to these levels after about a year of training.  Now, as I look to start training again, I think what in the world do I need that kind of ability for?  My son weighs less than 20 pounds.  I don’t need to be able to hurl across the lawn like a shot-put.  I just need to be able to keep up with him when he plays.  Jackson has more energy than any kid I’ve ever seen.

So, as I think of ways to learn conditioning over bulk, the strangest thing happens to me.  An acquaintance of mine that I have known for about seven years comes up to me.  He has no idea what things have been going on in my life.  He asks me if he can talk to me about something without offending me.  I tell him sure, having no idea what he’s about to bring up.  He then offers to coach me through some conditioning training.  He’s done personal training for years on the side, and he heard through the grape vine that I was working on weight loss.  He told me he would do anything he could to help, just let him know where I wanted him and when.  As a bonus, he even goes to the same gym I do.

You know, you hear about the Lord working in mysterious ways, and ask and you will receive, but wow!  The timing of this was just utterly amazing to me!  I’ve witnessed so many miracles since 7/31/2011.  I know I have the support of my family and friends.  It is very comforting to know that God is watching out for me too.  I’m not really sure it’s possible to fail with the tremendous support network I have.

Quarter-Ton No More! -16.6/496.6

Well, the change in lifestyle is going well so far.  Visible results already.  I think I forgot that I had calf muscles.  Apparently, it has been a long time since I saw them!  LOL  Anyway, I am under the 500 pound mark, and God willing, the creek don't rise, and I don't see lasagna, I will never be there again!  Here's looking for 399.9!

Why a quarter-ton hammer? -6.0/507.2

I remember when I was a young boy asking my father what a ton was.  At the time, he drove a Ford Fairmont.  He told me that a ton was a measure of weight, equal to 2,000 pounds.  As a reference point, he explained to me that his car weighed about 1.5 tons.  To an analytical kid, that comparison stuck with me through life, and would come back to haunt me many years later.

As an adult, I have suffered from weight problems ever since I stopped smoking in 1992.  I gained about 100lbs within the first year of quitting, and I have fluctuated up and down since then.  I know I am not just fighting the need to eat correctly, and exercise, but I am also fighting bad genetics – as both of my parents had weight issues.

In July, when Jackson was born, I knew that I wanted to watch him grow up, and more importantly for him to not lose his dad early in life like I did.  I knew this before, but my personality requires triggers to start me down a path.  For me, holding him that first time on August 3, 2011, as he came off the cold blanket therapy was the trigger I needed.

I started thinking about the things I had done in the past to lose weight, which were always successful, but not sustainable.  I knew I had to change my lifestyle.  I had to change the daily routine that I had forged over the last ten years.  I’m a creature of habit, and I “suffer” from obsessive-compulsive disorder, so I knew that this was going to be a challenge – one that I was up to though.

As the fall progressed, I started making small changes that were making impacts, but still not enough.  I sought out a referral for a dietitian.  My first appointment was in early December.  I enjoyed the appointment, and received a lot of good information to help me in the changes I made.  One of the big things that was discussed that day is you can’t eliminate everything from your diet.  Moderation, and awareness, is how you sustain a healthy diet.

Note: One of the tools I received that day was a booklet from CalorieKing that identifies all the major restaraunts menu items, so you can pick with knowledge when eating out.  Since then, I found a CalorieKing app for the iPad.  It has every restaurant that I have ever heard of in it.  It is an excellent way to stay informed when eating on the go.  I highly recommend it.

The second appointment was just before Christmas.  I had made good progress, but it was hard to put numbers to the success, because I didn’t have access to a scale that would read me.  (That is just one of the things fat people have to deal with.  When we walk into a room, is there a chair that we will fit in?  When dining, is there a table, because a booth won’t work.  These are things every fat person has to be aware of.)  We set a follow up appointment for late February, to give time for the scale to arrive, and see some progress before we spoke again.

The scale arrived on Thursday, December 22.  This was the single most shocking day of my life.  I stepped on the scale, and it told me I weighed 513.2 lbs.  Yes, one man weighed more than 500 lbs.  It was disturbing on a level that I cannot describe, especially knowing that I had already lost enough weight that my pants were falling off.  I knew I was the biggest I had ever been, but to cross that threshold was just astonishing.  The very first thought in my head was that I weighed a quarter of a ton – I was on a comparable scale with a car my father owned when I was a kid.

The next thought in my head was how to fix it.  Another lesson my father taught me was that when all else fails, take a hammer to it.  Destroy it, and start over.  Sometimes, rebuilding from the ground up is what is needed.  In the spirit of this lesson, I have named my blog Quarter-Ton Hammer – because that is what it is going to take to change my life.