Losing 170 Pounds, Weight Loss Made Easy

As I write this, I hear the high pitched laughter of Spongebob in the background. My son’s laughter follows and fills my heart with a special joy. The pleasures that I know, and once took for granted, brighten each of the days in my now fulfilling life. Life is great these days. I’m surrounded by an amazing family. My fiancé and three beautiful boys are all that I could ever dream of and more. Life hasn’t always been this good. My own life has been marred by tragedy, and a desperate need for change. I was nearly 400 pounds at one point, and my health was failing me.

It was the summer of 2007. I was working in the family business, and hating everything about my miserable life. I was alone, depressed, down on my luck, and seemingly out of options. I weighed an unbelievable 375 pounds. That would explain a lot of my personal feelings and outlook. As I look back I can see that this hell I was in was of my own creation. The choices I had made to that point had dictated the avenue that I would be stranded on until help would come my way.

One day, I awoke to an intense pain in my abdomen. The pain was so intense that I couldn’t walk upright. I walked, doubled over, to my car. My vision was blurred. It was to the point that I couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of me. I wasn’t sure how I would ever make the 24 mile journey to the hospital. Needless to say, I made it to the hospital. I was fading in and out of consciousness when I arrived at the Emergency Room.

There was a great commotion around me as I was taken to the triage room. I was terrified, and even certain that my own demise was at hand. This feeling of great loss consumed me. What would happen now? What would I face ahead? I just knew that my life had reached a short end.

Soon the doctor confirmed my suspicions, I was dying. The illness I had was more than treatable. I had pancreatitis. The problem was, my case was so advanced that it was beyond the doctor’s scope of care. There was even a team of specialists working around the clock, trying to keep me alive. It so happened after nearly a month in intensive care that I flat lined. The major organs in my body had failed, and I couldn’t battle any longer. Twice that night I did flat line, and twice I was resuscitated. I was fortunate enough to have the good Lord on my side.

This was an indicator that change in my life was due. I would have to change my outlook on everything. This part wouldn’t be easy, nor would it be fast. It actually took a few years to commit to changing my lifestyle. That was mostly due to having children and watching them grow. Becoming a father was the greatest thing that could happen to me. I finally realized that I needed to make changes. I wanted to watch my sons grow to be men, and someday even become a grandfather. I finally decided that I was going to become the man I needed to be.

I was finally set on losing weight and becoming healthy. I didn’t know what it would take, or how I should even begin. So I did just exactly what came to mind. I started drinking large volumes of water each day. I also began a mild exercise routine. Working out was difficult. At nearly 400 pounds physical activity of any sort was hard to accomplish. I eliminated sugar from my diet. I hoped for small results that first week. A few pounds lost would be a great start for me. I was astounded when I lost 12 pounds that week. Immediately my whole attitude had changed. My outlook began to brighten.

Truly, I was finding that the key to losing weight would not be in a fad diet of some kind. It was going to be about a change in my attitude and my own beliefs. I wasn’t aware in the beginning just how hard my journey to come would be. I was about to embark on the hardest fight I would have to face yet. I had to take time to outline my goals and then define steps that would lead to me accomplishing them. This was one of the first steps to making the necessary changes to becoming healthier.

To become the healthy man that I wanted to be, I had to make several changes. The first was consuming at least one gallon of water each day. This was crucial in cleansing my body. I still follow this practice. I am committed to it, and I think of it as necessary to live healthy. The most important part of becoming healthy and losing weight is not in a diet or program! This is so important. I had to change my way of thinking, feeling, living, and believing. I had to become a different person, a better person.

I began making lists. This was the beginning to becoming organized. Becoming organized was an important change in my thinking and beliefs. I outlined my goals. In the short term, I wanted to lose 50 pounds in the first year. I thought this would be a conservative and realistic goal. I also had to outline just how that would work. I was shocked that my new outlook would work as well as it did. In the period of a year I lost 170 pounds instead of 50.

So here is how it began:

1. I had to become organized in everything that I did or set out to do.

2. I had to consume a minimum of one gallon of water, and up to one and a half gallons each day.

3. I had to eliminate sugar from my diet.

• This meant that soda was a bad idea.
• I converted to Stevia as an alternative.
• Aspartame is no substitute, it will make you sick.
• This means no cookies, doughnuts, candy, or other sweets that are not made with Stevia.

4. I had to commit to becoming a new person.

5. Finally, I had to be active, without pushing too hard. That meant exercise that didn’t cause too much strain on my ill body.

I was finally ready to begin the journey of a lifetime. It was time to become a new man. I must tell you, that to lose weight, and keep it off, you must change from the inside out. This is so very personal, and only you can lose the weight for yourself! While support is great to have, it will not guarantee results. What you bring to the table, and the effort you put forth, will determine your actual results.

This is the first of several articles related to my journey that gave me a new life, and finally hope. What I am sharing is very personal, and is also true. I hope that my experience will motivate individuals needing a change in their own life to stand up and fight for a better life. If you need to live whole, and are ready to become a new person, please follow my story. I assure you that your life will be better if you apply the steps I will share with you. Don’t live in disappointment anymore. To be happy, you will have to commit to being happy. You must carve out your own path. There is no one that can do it for you.

I am open to comments and questions. Please follow me and recommend this article to others. I am sure that together we can make change happen, and see a healthier lifestyle for countless individuals struggling right now. Please watch for part two coming soon.