Hello Everyone. Welcome to another Writer Ramble.

If you have been following my pages, then you probably know by now that I am on a journey of better health. I began my journey in the summer of 2019. I remember getting up on the scales at work where we ship our pallets and seeing “410” pop up. I was in disbelief. I couldn’t believe I had allowed myself to treat my body so awfully. I have always been a big person, but when you see the scales go over four hundred pounds, it really does something to you on an emotional level.

I began thinking back to some of the memories that might have brought me here. I remember in the seventh grade, the gym teacher told me he was going to call my parents. In the summer between sixth and seventh grade, I had gained 50 pounds. I went from 200lbs to 250lbs. Let me be clear, this isn’t a reflection on my parents. My parents are amazing people who always wanted the best for me. I was just a lazy kid. I played some sports but other than that I stayed inside and watched television and played video games. That was the life I had chosen for myself and it led to where I was.

When my wife and I started dating, I came in at 285 pounds. That was my junior year in high school. From there, I don’t remember the benchmarks that got me to where I was. I remember being in Sam’s one day – I think my now fiancé’ was buying food for our upcoming engagement party. Anyway, I went to the blood pressure machine in an act of curiosity. It took my weight as well. Blood pressure was fine, but my weight was 385lbs. That shook me a little. Apparently not enough, though. I still gained more weight with no regard to how I was treating myself. I stepped on the scale one day at work and saw it hit 406lbs. Even then I shrugged it off. “What was another twenty pounds or so?”

Then, the day I hit 410, everything changed. I decided to make a change then and there. My weight loss journey had begun. I decided to begin losing a pound a week. I started the summer of 2019 but still, my wishy-washiness got to me and I took a three- or four-month hiatus. It wasn’t until possibly January of 2020 did, I begin to see steady and significant results. As I tell this story, I am officially down 76lbs since I began. To some that may not seem like a lot. I still have a long way to go. My end goal is 250.

So, many have asked. How did I get there?

Well, I looked into nutrition and the basis for what makes us gain weight. It all comes down to calories. How many you take in vs. how many you burn. Well, you’re asking now, how do I know what I’m eating? A calorie calculator, the same thing I had to use.

https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

It is pretty self-explanatory. Fill out the form as a sedentary lifestyle and it will tell you how many calories you have been eating to get to the weight you are at and how many you should be eating to lose a pound a week or even two pounds a week.

I also invested in a kitchen scale. It has been my best friend since I began all of this. I once said I wouldn’t get this hardcore, but now it is attached to me at the hip. I weigh everything in grams. Everything that goes into my mouth, I know how many calories I’m eating. It is the only way to ensure I’m not eating too many.

The third thing I have been doing is exercising. Not cardio like many will tell you. My goal is to build and tone. I want to lose weight, don’t get me wrong, but I want to look good too. I tell everyone I’m going for “dat sexeh bod!” Haha. I have never been the person that turns heads, so that is my goal. I want to be healthy for my wife, my kids, my friends, and my family, but I want to be healthy for me too. And that’s the key to all of this. Until you’re ready to do this for you, you’ll never be able to do it. You must want it and that’s a simple fact. Whatever your reason is. Maybe you want it for health, or you want it for a better range of motion, or maybe you just want that sexy bod. Find whatever makes you tick and work toward it.

Since beginning this, I have never felt so good in my life. I’m 28 years old and I hope I am beginning a path to adding more years to my life than I had before I started. If you don’t think you can do it, I promise you that you can. It takes a little bit of will power, a little bit of drive, and a good support team behind you. Without my family and some very dear friends, I could never do this.

If you need someone to push you to make this change, message me, email me, whatever you want to do. I am all about helping someone change their life for the better. I was so jaded from this world and now I find weightlifting therapeutic. I’m addicted to seeing the scale goes down each time I step on it. And I love the feel of my muscles as they get bigger, toner, and even burn from the post day workout. Once again, if a 400lb man can make this change, so can you!