Category: Scoop

It just hit me. I’ve accomplished some amazing things in the past 18 months:

• I lost over 140 lbs
• I got back into decent shape
• I can fit into clothes bought directly off the rack at any store
• I can run three miles with a 9 minute/mile pace (or better)
• I can do 80+ push ups
• I am no longer diabetic
• I can use the tray table on an airplane in economy

All of this because of Whole30 and Paleo and a lot of perseverance.

I thought of this because I used to watch other people start diets or exercise plans and invariably, a year or so later, when they posted their accomplishments, I’d look back at that same period of time and think to myself, “I did nothing to make myself better in that time. Here I am, same as before, while this person has improved their health and/or fitness. I wasted all that time and could have done something better!”

Now, I’ve had people tell me that very same thing. “If I’d have started when you did, I’d have lost a lot of weight by now, too!” Yes, probably. So do the next best thing: start today!

As I was losing the bulk of my weight, I was always curious about where the physical fat went. Did my body eat it up? Did fat cells die and get flushed? Were they burned up in some process? This article helps explain it all. The tl:dr version is this: “When fat is lost, it is mostly exhaled as carbon dioxide (84%), with the remainder (16%) being excreted as water.” Wow. The processes within our bodies are extraordinary and complex.

I’m asked every now and then if I think weight loss surgery (gastric bypass, gastric bands, etc) is a good option for people who just can’t seem to lose weight every other way. My answer here is the same answer I give to everyone who asks: It’s risky and just not worth it if you’re not going to make the effort to change your diet for the rest of your life. And, if you’re going to do that, then you won’t need the surgery anyway because you will lose the weight safely and naturally.

I know two people who died from gastric bypass. That’s two too many. I also know at least half a dozen people who had the surgery and had great results for a year or so but then slowly gained the weight back and became obese once again because they didn’t change the types of food they ate. Sure, when you have a gastric bypass, your stomach size is greatly reduced, so it becomes impossible to eat a lot of food, but if the food you continue to eat is rich in carbs and sugar, you’re still taking in a lot of calories. Also, these people have failed because eating the foods high in carbs and sugar kept them hungry, forcing them to eat more often due to cravings, which in turn stretched out their little stomach pouch back to original size.

Forget surgeries. Do a Whole30, commit to doing it right, and then transition into something. I transitioned into Paleo and I’m now 140 less than I was a few years ago. I am often asked if I had surgery and people are always surprised when I tell them that not only have I not, but that I lost over 110 lbs in 12 months through diet alone. They assume I suffered; they couldn’t be more wrong!

No. Not even close. The only person I’m trying to be better than is the person I was yesterday. Plain and simple.

Someone said to me that they believe that I think I’m better than everyone else. This is patently untrue. So crazy untrue, it’s laughable. Yet it gave me pause. Why would anyone think this?

I talk about my success with weight loss. This is true. I do talk about it. A lot. But that’s why I have this blog. I am hoping to motivate others. I hope to give inspiration to those who may think that losing weight is impossible.

I talk about my success in fitness. Also true. Same as my talking about weight loss, this is something I’ve tackled in my life that I want to inspire and motivate others with.

I discuss the positive changes in my life. These positive changes are the result of a lot of hard work, dedication, perseverance, and discipline. Losing weight and getting fit is based on a simple formula, but it’s not easy. The rewards, however, are definitely worth it, and again, I hope to inspire others to attain good health and better fitness by showing my example.

I post lots of selfies. I sure do. I aim to inspire and motivate. The best way to do that is to show before and after pictures of myself. They are my resume. I could have a page dedicated to my qualifications, what I’ve read, the sites I use as my source of information, etc. None of it matters. What matters is that I was fat and I’m not anymore. I used a healthy diet to lose weight and exercise to get fit. The pictures speak a thousand words.

I don’t, however, talk about my success with weight loss, fitness, the positive changes in my life, or post selfies to condescend or to make anyone feel inadequate. If someone infers it that way, they need to look inward and discover why they feel that way. If I remind you of someone you don’t like, that’s your problem and not mine. I can only be who I am, and as I strive to be better, there is only one person I can ever hope to be better than: the person I was yesterday.

In the photo above on the left, I was a Marine Staff Sergeant in March, 1997. I was pretty heavy, at my max weight of 175 lbs. I worked hard to maintain even that weight as I had no idea that my diet was so horrible, and that I was fighting a losing battle. I ended up leaving the Marines six months later to pursue civilian job prospects and to move my kids closer to their extended family.

On the right, that is the photo taken for my Army National Guard ID card this past Friday. I weigh 173 lbs in the photo on the right, but I’m in much better shape. I’m far more fit today than I was when I was a SSgt in the Marines. I run more often and exercise regularly without being told to do so. The difference is amazing. Considering both pictures are within 2 lbs of each other, the appearance of my face is very different. I used Photoshop to create the image above, and I matched my eyes and mouth perfectly; those two photos are exactly the same size. Yes, I’m 20 years older (of course), but I am visibly thinner today than I was 20 years ago.

If weight were the only measure I cared about, I’d probably look more like I did on the left than I do on the right. Although I weigh nearly the same, I wear pants 4″ smaller than I did on the left, and I wear smaller shirts as well (M instead of L). My legs are very muscular as are my arms. My abs are trying to pop out from the excess skin I still carry from when I weighed over 300 lbs.

The point I’m trying to make is that there are two Staff Sergeants above. They weigh about the same. Only one of them is really fit, though. Don’t put all your eggs in the scale basket. There’s far more to your health and fitness than what the number on the scale is.

This is something that someone pointed out to me today, and it was a real, “A-ha!” moment. The entire time I was losing weight, it felt like it was taking forever. As I look back through photos of myself throughout my journey, I remember thinking, “Wow, I’ve lost so much weight, but it’s taking forever to lose more.” Then, with each successive month, I’d notice I was in a new decade of digits as my weight continued to spiral downward. It felt slow, but in actuality, I was losing weight at a good, healthy clip.

We all want weight loss to happen immediately. Regardless of whether we have 10 lbs or 150 lbs to lose: we’d like for it to get done in a week. Even for a person who only needs to lose 10 lbs, that’s rather ambitious. The best I’ve done was 20 lbs in one month, and it’s likely that half of that was water weight. 10 lbs a month is about the best I’ve ever accomplished, and from what I’ve read, that’s about the fastest you can lose weight while still being considered healthy. Any faster, and there’s likely something wrong going on (either systemically or in the diet used).

Nothing worthwhile is accomplished immediately and without effort. Think of the accomplishments in life you are proudest of. Those likely took some serious time and effort to attain. Losing a large chunk of weight is no different. It will take some time and effort to accomplish, but when you’re done, you will feel great, have more mobility, and you will feel proud to have done it. I know, because I feel all those things and more. Don’t expect immediate huge numbers, but the huge numbers add up over time before you even know it.

I still can’t believe I’ve lost 140 lbs. It feels like I started this journey just a few months ago, yet while I was losing weight, I felt like I’d never be here. Be patient. If you stick to the plan, you will be met with success. Just don’t expect it next month; it may take longer than that.