mrpickem

I've been overweight for the past 25+ years! I had developed several health issues associated with the obesity, including hypertension, high cholesterol & gout. Finally I decided in Jan 2011 that I had to make a change. I was 50 years old 6'2", 260 lbs & 42" waist.

I'm pleased to say after 15 months I have lost 42 lbs and my body fat has dropped from 36% to 25.8%...also my waist is now 36" and I feel so much better...it's amazing! My blood pressure was the first thing that fell from 145-150/90-95 down to around 125/80 within 2 months. It's been almost a year since my last gout attack and my cholesterol has been slowly dropping from 238 to 210 when last measured in Oct 2011(I'm confident it will be lower when I'm tested again this coming month)

There in no magic answer to this transformation, but many concessions all applied in unison.

• I joined a gym with boot camp type training with a trainer
• I started tracking my caloric intake on fitday
• I also track my weight, measurements & nutritional intake on fidtay
• I changed my diet considerably to include more fruits/veggies/fiber and less fat/bread/fried foods/fast food/alcohol/sweets
• I also use whey protein & fiber supplements 4-5 times a week

I'm far from perfect as I could do alot better. I still have periods of weakness with fried chicken, ice cream, pizza, etc... Just keep it to minimum. I reduced my daily average calories to 2200 which is OK for someone as big as me, but 2000 would be better. I still consume far too much alcohol amounting TO 10-12% of my calories. Wine daily, cocktails a few times a week and an occasional beer or 2 adds up quickly. STILL, even with these shortcoming I've made amazing progress. I think the biggest thing for me was the boot camp 3-4 times a week. It is a vigorous one hour workout, at a scheduled time...so for me, it's easier to keep it up. I may also mention that I injured my calf in July '11 and was unable to workout for 6 weeks, but I did not let this deter me.

It's all in your mind, YOU CAN DO IT!

Kathy13118

Congratulations! I think your message is the right one - you can do it! Also, you listed the things that help you do it. Very important stuff!

RunbikeSki

You bet it is never too late!
Way to go mrpickem - and that, ladies and gentlemen, is how it is done

Meggietye

Well done and congratulations on your weight loss and lifestyle change!!!
Feel very good about yourself and feel proud, this is a tremendous accomplishment.

Meggie

ayanatsume

Yeah me too, just want to congratulate you! You did great!

sensuous1

Great work. Keep up the good job. Your post contained helpful information and motivation. I am also on high blood pressure meds so it is good to know that the numbers do go down. Keep up the good work and keep posting.