40 Pounds Overweight at my Wedding in 2004!

On September 18th, 2004 that was the most amazing day of my life because I married the love of my life but it was also a very depressing moment in my life because I was the heaviest I had ever been in my life. At my wedding, I weighed 210 Pounds!

The Honeymoon Letter

Certified Letter

On our honeymoon, my parents received a certified letter from my doctor. It was a letter stating that I was at risk for a stroke because my cholesterol was extremely high. This letter put me, my parents, and my wife all in shock and that was the beginning of my 4 year weightloss journey.

All Protein Diet - Atkins Diet

I tried the all protein diet, atkins diet before I started on this 4 year weight loss journey and that worked for 2 weeks. I lost weight in my 1st week trying it but failed miserably and gained all the weight back immediately. That probably also contributed to my high cholesterol because of all the meats that I was eating.

Weightloss Infomercial Diets - Power 90

I remember seeing this infomercial on tv before my wedding and had planned during my honeymoon to purchase this diet. When I came home from my honeymoon that was exactly what I did. I purchased the Power 90 weightloss infomercial program and waited anxiously for it to come. When it came I was extremely dissapointed. The program was no different than an aroebics dvd and the reason why all the testimonials were able to lose so much weight in such a short time was because of the weight loss supplements that they offered with the program. I did not want to order weightloss supplements that I would have to rely on for the rest of my life.

The weightloss secret magil pill!

Drum Roll please - Eat Healthy and Exercise

I'm sorry but that's probably not what you wanted to hear. As Americans we are inundated with advertising through billboards, radio, internet, tv, movies, music, etc... and it all tells us that we can solve any problem with a magic pill and we can solve it NOW. Every advertisement out there can solve any problem out there, or so they say convincingly with sex and money.

The journey really begins now with Weightwatchers

I started to get interested in weightwatchers because it talked a lot about being able to lose weight without supplements. I wanted to be able to lose weight and keep it off without pills or any type of operations to my body. I wanted to do it naturally. I enrolled in weightwatchers and started going to weekly meetings where I weighed in and listened to people in a group talk about their struggles and victories. I was so inspired by all these people (mostly women in my group) that had lost 10,20,30, even 100 pounds and they were all doing it naturally.

Within about 2 months I had lost 15 pounds and within about 3 months I had lost 25 pounds. I was now 185 pounds. I stayed on this track for about 6 months and began to regress and get back into my old habits. I started to eat junk food again late at night and stop by all the fast food drive-thrus for lunch and random snacks. From 2005-2008 I fluctuated from 192-205 pounds. I realized at the beginning of 2008 that I had to go back to weightwatchers again.

2nd time at weightwatchers

On 3/31/2008 I went back to weightwatchers. I had weighed 199 pounds on 3/3/2008 and made a committment to hit my goal and become a life time weightwatchers member. By July 28th, 2008 I weighed in at 170 pounds. I had lost 29 pounds in 4 months.

Why did weightwatchers work for me?

I realized that losing weight needs to be a lifestyle change and not just a magic pill that happens in1 day. I also realized that I needed accountability and encouragement. I also needed to see results in other people around me. This is what I got at weightwatchers. I got weekly accountability from the people at the weekly meetings. I also told my wife, my family, and my friends about my goals and about my program.

What I did practically to lose 40 pounds in 4 years

1. I write down everything I eat - this helped a lot

2. I surrounded myself with healthy foods - I'm a muncher and need to munch. So I stacked the fridge, my office, and my car (the places where I'm the most) with vegetables, fruits, and low calorie low fat snacks so that I could fill my apetite with good foods.

3. I bought a pedometer watch - aimed at walking 10,000 steps per day. i was actually only walking about 1,000 steps per day before I started doing this.

4. i went to meetings with weightwatchers every week. - I need accountability and this is the best way for me to get accountability.