I have been overweight since high school. That was almost four decades ago (early 80′s). In my mid to late 20′s I was married with two children and got a job at a chemical plant. I worked outdoors for 10+ hours (weekends off) for five and a half years. I lost a lot of weight in that time, mostly because food would bog me down at work (very physical job), and I was too tired to care in the evenings... on top of the 10 hours of sun-baked, sweaty, manual labor. I quickly got cured of soft drinks when I drank a coke at lunch one day, and was so thirsty the rest of the afternoon that I could not drink enough water to feel right, and I was so full that I was sick. Water only after that, until they set up Gatorade for us out there. Even today I still drink water all day and with all of my meals. All through the years I was overweight, and it got worse when I started traveling for work. All expenses paid trips to any restaurant for a week or few. I lived it up for many years. Around my mid 40s, I was 286 pounds, and all of my numbers were “borderline” (slightly high cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, etc.) Doc told me that if I would lose some of the weight, all these numbers would get better. I did not want to be on any meds... so, I finally decided that
I started strong at first, and lost 30 pounds within the first few months. 10% of my body weight. A milestone. I was still pretty heavy, and the numbers hadn’t changed much yet, but it was an achievement. I looked forward to every small incremental achievement. It was easier to tie my shoes. I slept a little better. Clothes fit differently. I had been on diets before, and had lost, and regained. This time I was not dipping deep into the pond for all I could get. I was on a slow, steady trajectory down. Making small lifestyle changes every few months or so. No cookies or donuts was one of the first rules. I slowed way down on fast food, fried foods... Still drank a lot of beer, ate a lot of cheese... I realized that I will never succeed by totally restricting anything. I had to make a slow, gentle, but permanent change. Nothing was off limits, but many bad things were no longer regular habits. I would plateau for months, then make some sort of change, small but permanent, and then would continue down. Sometimes it was about exercise, but it really is 80% diet. I have reached the 100 pound mark after several years (seven, maybe?) and I have more to go, so I continue. Today I barely eat red meat or cookies, but I still have my vices. Slow but steady changes seem to be making it happen.
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