I need to share a victory, here.
I’m a school teacher. I’ve been overweight (obese, really) for most of my life. This summer, I went to the doctor regarding a (thankfully negative) skin cancer scare. But while I was there, the doctor started asking about my family history - diabetes, cancer, obesity, heart disease on both parents’ sides. He took a blood sample and told me that I was prediabetic. On top of that, my liver was shot - choked with fat to the point that it wasn’t functioning. On top of all that, I was weighing in at nearly 300 pounds (I hadn’t weighed myself in years - I knew I was in bad shape, but I guess I could be in some kind of denial as long as I didn’t see the hard numbers).
That was early June, right at the start of summer vacation. I started tracking and reducing my calories, cutting out sugar and junk food, not drinking any calories. No special restrictions or even macronutrient tracking, just straight calories in/calories out. I also started lifting weights - I was into powerlifting back in college, and decided to pick that back up to reduce muscle loss. That part was humbling - all my lifts have dropped considerably, and even though I look like a big guy, I was sweating and gasping under some light weights.
Anyway, fast forward to now (late November - about 6 months later. I’ve dropped from 300 lbs to 215 - 85 pounds down. Most importantly, my health is in check - no longer prediabetic, blood sugar, blood pressure, and liver functions all normal.
The other night, I went to see some former students in their high school musical (support your local high school’s theater program!). After the show, I went to shake their hands and compliment their performances. I’d said hi to a few of them already, when one gasps, turns to the others, and says “Guys! This is Mr. (Name)!” They lose it, shouting “No way!” and “HOW!?” and “You lost a ton of weight!” (The thing about working with kids is that there’s no filter, haha.)
I knew I looked different - I’ve gone from XXXL to L, with actual muscle tone showing instead of just flab. I also shaved off my gross depression beard, now that I’ve got a jawline. But the people I see every day have seen the slow changes over time. These were kids that I’d taught for the last few years, but they hadn’t seen me since moving up to the high school, and their surprised, excited reactions really made it sink in how far I’ve come.
Anyway, moral of the story (because my teacher brain doesn’t turn off and still wants to turn everything into a lesson) - denial is a killer. I had basically given up on the idea of ever losing weight...but hearing my doctor explain how much I had damaged my health was a wake-up call. And from what he said, I caught it just in time - continuing my old lifestyle could have left that damage irreparable. Do what you’ve got to do.
Anyway, I’m not done yet. I’m still tracking my caloric intake. Still hitting the gym. Just being aware of what I’m doing and how I’m feeling. Awareness has made all the difference.
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