robtattoo
WKR
As I've happily admitted in many posts over the years, I've always been a fatty.
Well, a few months ago I decided not to be. Well, I decided I needed to shed about 20lb anyway.
I have osteoarthritis in my left ankle & complications from a gunshot wound in my right knee & as I'm getting older (holly shit, I'll be 50 next year!) I thought that I could probably get a couple of cortizone shots before my Wyoming hunt this season.
I spoke to my podiatrist & he took a bunch of X-rays & an MRI of my ankle & came to the conclusion that as is about 90% fused, nothing was going to really help there.
Spoke to my GP about the ligaments in my knee & he agreed that steroids would help, but he didn't want to do cortisone right off the bat & gave me some Prednisone to try first. Being as he's one of my best friends he suggested, in that best friendy way, that if my joints weren't under so much strain, they'd hurt less.
'Huh. Logical' I thought.
That day, I weighed in at 265. I've never really 'looked' obese, being 6 foot & generally a big guy, most people wouldn't guess me as being that heavy. See, i gain weight evenly, all over. No big gut or tiddies, i just...... increase.
So, I asked his advise. Which is often not the best idea when it's a buddy, but he must've caught on that I was serious. Hell, I overcame alcoholism solely because I didn't want to take blood pressure meds & I quit tobacco because someone told me I couldn't. I'm hard headed like that.....
We had a very long, serious discussion, including a consult with a dietician. It turns out that I already had a very healthy diet (I don't eat fast food, virtually zero processed food, negligible processed sugars & as I'm gluten intolerant, not much in the way of simple carbs! After a lot of head scratching, eventually he suggested I maybe try semaglutide injections to at least help with portion control & you know, toss in some extra green leafy stuff. The goal was to get me to 240, a weight I knew was achievable & I was far more comfortable at.
So I did.
That was on September 1st.
As of this morning, I'm down to 219. I've gone from a 42" waist & 56" chest, to a 38 waist & 50 chest. My knee & ankle are causing me zero pain, whatsoever & the energy I have is astonishing to me. The Wyoming trip was a massive eye opener, in that it gave me motivation to do things I never thought I'd do (it sounds dumb to you mountain types, but 12 miles in a day, half of which was uphill, without getting angry, frustrated or hurt is, to me, miraculous. And I wanted to do it again. Every day! ) I'm no longer phased at having to hike to my hunting spots. In fact, this season I hoofed it to a stand that my younger, much fitter hunting bud has never actually reached without a 4-wheeler!
My diet has changed immeasurably since that day. I no longer prioritize food & frankly, if I miss a meal I no longer stress about it. I'm happier than I've ever been in my own skin.
The reason for this post: I'm not looking for back-pats or 'attaboys' I just want to throw out there a little post Christmas motivation. If I; a middle aged, injured, perpetually overweight guy (shit, I weighed more at 18 than I do today!) can shed it, my hand to your God, anyone can do it.
Also, I just got out of the shower, giggling. I was washing my right leg & noticed a couple of things.....
1, I didn't recognize my own leg &
2, I had been stood, unaided, on one leg, for the first time that i can remember!
It feels good folks!
200 by April!
Well, a few months ago I decided not to be. Well, I decided I needed to shed about 20lb anyway.
I have osteoarthritis in my left ankle & complications from a gunshot wound in my right knee & as I'm getting older (holly shit, I'll be 50 next year!) I thought that I could probably get a couple of cortizone shots before my Wyoming hunt this season.
I spoke to my podiatrist & he took a bunch of X-rays & an MRI of my ankle & came to the conclusion that as is about 90% fused, nothing was going to really help there.
Spoke to my GP about the ligaments in my knee & he agreed that steroids would help, but he didn't want to do cortisone right off the bat & gave me some Prednisone to try first. Being as he's one of my best friends he suggested, in that best friendy way, that if my joints weren't under so much strain, they'd hurt less.
'Huh. Logical' I thought.
That day, I weighed in at 265. I've never really 'looked' obese, being 6 foot & generally a big guy, most people wouldn't guess me as being that heavy. See, i gain weight evenly, all over. No big gut or tiddies, i just...... increase.
So, I asked his advise. Which is often not the best idea when it's a buddy, but he must've caught on that I was serious. Hell, I overcame alcoholism solely because I didn't want to take blood pressure meds & I quit tobacco because someone told me I couldn't. I'm hard headed like that.....
We had a very long, serious discussion, including a consult with a dietician. It turns out that I already had a very healthy diet (I don't eat fast food, virtually zero processed food, negligible processed sugars & as I'm gluten intolerant, not much in the way of simple carbs! After a lot of head scratching, eventually he suggested I maybe try semaglutide injections to at least help with portion control & you know, toss in some extra green leafy stuff. The goal was to get me to 240, a weight I knew was achievable & I was far more comfortable at.
So I did.
That was on September 1st.
As of this morning, I'm down to 219. I've gone from a 42" waist & 56" chest, to a 38 waist & 50 chest. My knee & ankle are causing me zero pain, whatsoever & the energy I have is astonishing to me. The Wyoming trip was a massive eye opener, in that it gave me motivation to do things I never thought I'd do (it sounds dumb to you mountain types, but 12 miles in a day, half of which was uphill, without getting angry, frustrated or hurt is, to me, miraculous. And I wanted to do it again. Every day! ) I'm no longer phased at having to hike to my hunting spots. In fact, this season I hoofed it to a stand that my younger, much fitter hunting bud has never actually reached without a 4-wheeler!
My diet has changed immeasurably since that day. I no longer prioritize food & frankly, if I miss a meal I no longer stress about it. I'm happier than I've ever been in my own skin.
The reason for this post: I'm not looking for back-pats or 'attaboys' I just want to throw out there a little post Christmas motivation. If I; a middle aged, injured, perpetually overweight guy (shit, I weighed more at 18 than I do today!) can shed it, my hand to your God, anyone can do it.
Also, I just got out of the shower, giggling. I was washing my right leg & noticed a couple of things.....
1, I didn't recognize my own leg &
2, I had been stood, unaided, on one leg, for the first time that i can remember!
It feels good folks!
200 by April!
