When I was 21, I decided to get into shape. I was overweight for most of my life, but as I went into my senior year of college I had become disgusted at how huge I had become.
At 295 lbs., I was unhappy and though not unhealthy -- it was undoubtedly not good for my health. Who knows what condition I'd be in 20 years from now.
So I made a decision to drop to 190 lbs. before graduation. Starting in January 2007, I worked as hard as I could -- sometimes too hard -- to get into working order.
I told everyone about my decision, made a plan and set weekly goals. By hitting the gym twice a day for about an hour each time and cutting my caloric intake to about 1200 calories a day, I easily began to shed 5 lbs. a week -- shows you I didn't need the extra bulk.
I didn't go to a trainer, didn't use a pre-paid program, etc. I just read a few basic things online, set a goal and went for it -- though I took it slow in the beginning to make sure I didn't hurt myself.
With the workouts, I focused more on cardio than resistance training -- a move I've wished I hadn't made, lesson learned.
I also pretty much stopped drinking all together during my health kick, which is challenging when you're 21 and in college…haha.
By the time May came around, I had gotten to about 215. While I wasn't at my goal, I was happy. So then after graduation, I continued my program, exchanging the gym for Kelly Drive -- running from East Falls to the Art Museum and back -- everyday.
By the end of the summer I was at 185 -- my lowest.
I then began to transition into a muscle-building program, though that became sporadic over the next two years. And as I slacked off, I gained some weight back. I'm now around 220 lbs.
Now I want, more than anything else to get some definition. I'm still self-conscious of my body -- especially losing all of that weight and want to get to a place where I can throw anything on, take my shirt off, whatever, and not give it a thought.
This time around, I am employing the help of a 90-day at home fitness program. Three months is a long time, although we'll see if it takes longer working this job.
The program focuses on using your body to build definition -- only using resistance bands, a pull-up bar and my arms and legs.
I'm not really hoping for a weight goal, but more of a visual acceptance with myself.
So that's my story. I'll be updating my progress each week and share some tips I've learned over my amateur fitness career. Feel free to join along with me and ask questions -- either here, on the HealthWatch facebook fan page or by emailing me.
