{A Weight Loss Story: Theron}

My most viewed post on the blog is by far my weight loss story.

Which is hilarious because I never even considered writing about it until one night I just started typing! 

Well it turns out that somehow...it inspired a lot of people! 

Talk about humbling! 

Alex's best friend from Samford, Theron {who we just went to an Auburn game with} started his weight loss journey last year around this time, and I'm thrilled to have him share his story on the blog! 

This is a different account, because it's a different plan, and a different gender...obviously. 

Theron is amazing, hilarious, and sort of weird {in a good way...}so enjoy! 

It was 5^th grade when I found out.

It was bring your baby picture to school day. Everyone pinned their baby picture to a board and would guess who was who. 

Standing in the background, I overheard the popular kid say, “wow, he was fat when he was a baby too.” 

Yep. Pointing at my picture.

I remember being at six flags trying to win a prize at the stupid guess your weight game.  If the Six-flags worker couldn't guess your weight within +/- 3 lbs., you win. She guessed 209. I stepped on the scale…210lbs. 

That was 10^th grade.

When I started college I was about 220 lbs. Hello college meal plan.

I hit 230 my sophomore year.

 In June of 2011 I got married. I stopped getting on the scale for a while. 

I was obese by definition. What else did I really need to know?

 The next time I stepped on the scale was the weekend of the Georgia/Auburn football game in 2011. 

We were celebrating my BDAY with family. 

My brothers found my scale and began weighing themselves. 

When they left the room I got on…237 lbs.

…GULP…O God.

For the first time in my life I got scared about my weight. I was 24 years old. Even if I gain about 5 lbs. a year, by the time I’m 30, I would be around 270 lbs. By 35 I could be hitting 300 lbs. Did I mention that I’m 5’8”?

Time out: Things to know about me

Understand that I am not a diet person. I hate diets. I hate counting calories. I've tried the iPhone apps to track calories.

I've never been able to actually stay on a diet. I've tried cutting back during meals but that wasn't working either.

I've also tried the “Go to the gym” approach to losing weight. It worked a little. I would run and lift weights and run some more but I never lost more than 10lbs. As soon as I would stop working out the weight would come right back.

 I had reached the two roads diverged in a yellow wood moment, only if I made the wrong choice I know I would be using a fat scooter from Wal-Mart to do the traveling. 

I had two choices.

 ·         Opt A – Be fat, get fatter, get heart disease, get high blood pressure, get diabetes, and get on meds to deal with all these issues…get on more meds to deal with the side effects of the other meds.

The icing on the cake was family. Being obese doesn't just affect you. 

One day I hope to have children and I hope to be there for them. I would be the fat dad that would try and tell his son/daughter the importance of being healthy…gasping for wind after throwing a few passes in the yard. Then going to sit on the couch to catch my breath with my son/daughter (yes, daughter will know how to throw a football). Nothing like some chips covered in cheese and salsa to help me catch my breath. Great lesson to teach children. 

Not only does it affect your children but your spouse. Either I am going to die early or I will live a miserable existence that requires my spouse to tie my shoes or worse, help put on my prosthetic leg b/c diabetes made it fall off.

·         Option B – do something. 

The only problem was that I didn't know what to do. I tried everything I knew. So I really began to consider Opt A by default.

A few days after the Auburn/Georgia game I was talking with a friend about this diet called “THE PALEO DIET.”

He sent me a link to this Blog called Nerd Fitness.

 The article suggested Rob Wolf’s book The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet.

 http://www.amazon.com/The-Paleo-Solution-Original-Human/dp/0982565844

 I read both…and boom...there was my Option B.

 After reading the book I was 100% sold. It just made sense. The more I researched, the more convinced I became.

 I made my commitment. It was the end of November. I weighed 240 lbs and I was going to commit to the Paleo lifestyle for 30 days.

Simplified Paleo = No grains, dairy, sugar, or oil other than olive

For a more in depth look at the Paleo Lifestyle check out the Nerdfitness.com article.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/

(it will take a few minutes but it is 100% worth the read).

At first it was hard. I didn't know what to eat or where to eat. 

At lunch the first few days I would go to target and buy a ton of carrots out of desperation. 

My digestive system went into shock for about 3 days. Then it got a little easier. 

After 7 days on a 98% Paleo diet I dropped 11 lbs. 

By January 1, 2012 I had dropped another 9 lbs. I was down to 220lbs. 

It had been about 30 days. Keep in mind I just came through Christmas Holidays and dropped 20 lbs. 

Not only had I lost a great deal of weight, I felt so much better. 

I had more energy. I was happier. 

And most importantly for the first time in my life, I felt there was hope that I could be the skinny guy (Dear naturally skinny people, you suck. Stop complaining about not being able to bulk up, Nobody cares.)

 I decided to stick with it with a few minor tweaks.

·         February 1, 2012 I was down to 218lbs. (Dairy makes a difference if you want the weight to come off quicker)

·         March 8, 2012 = 216 lbs. At this point I started strength training. (Body fat % = 22.6%)

·         March 20, 2012 = 219 lbs. I gained a few pounds the first 3 weeks of working out but it started falling slowly again.

·         April 1, 2012 = 215 lbs.

·         April 12, 2012 = 211 lbs. (Body fat % = 20.4%)

·         June 1, 2012 = 210lbs. Around this time I started studying for my CPA so the gym routine had to be put let go for a while.

·         June 19, 2012 = 207 lbs.

·         August 15, 2012 = 204 lbs. (Body fat % = 18.9%)

·         September 1, 2012 = 204 lbs. – passed first section of CPA and working out again.

·         September 25, 2012 – 209 lbs. (body fat % = 18.8%)

 Goal =  190 lbs. = total loss of 50 lbs.

Here are a few lessons I learned from my journey so far (most of these come from Nerdfitness.com check it out)

1. Weight loss is 75% diet and 25% exercise (MOST IMPORTANT)

2. If you can’t get your workout done in under 45 minutes, you are doing it wrong.

3. If it took me 24 years to get this big. It will take time for it to come off

4. Only change your workout routine if you have been committed to it for 6 weeks or longer

5. Treadmills are for hamsters and Strength training is key (yes even for girls) – Muscle burns fat. More muscle burns more fat. Treadmills do more for endurance than creating more muscle. I've done the cardio 

only approach to working out. I did lose weight but as soon as I stopped it came back.

6. You will need a support group…mine @ nerdfitness.com as well as support from family

7. Stop comparing yourselves to other people – you only see their results without seeing their years of hard work and struggle. Play the hand you’re dealt.

8. There is hope!!

Before

215 lbs

209 lbs

204 lbs

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Pretty amazing stuff, right? 

It just goes to show that there is a plan for everyone, you just need to find what's right for you! 

So drop that Twinky and go take a run!