(65ish pounds down (since January) and about 20 inches in 8 months)
I've been on a weight-loss journey for for seven years now. So far I've lost 165ish pounds. Which is a pretty great number for me, coming down from over 400 pounds has been quite a struggle. I battle daily with the fact that I haven't reached my goal weight in the 7 years. Any of you who have struggled yourself with weight loss, you know what I'm talking about.
I'm not one to dwell on negatives and focus on what I've learned.
1) I have to eat to live, not live to eat. You need food to survive, to live, but I don't need it when I'm sad/mad/happy/breathing/bored/celebrating/etc. I haven't turned to food as a friend in a couple years. It doesn't make up for the fact that I did for a long time. Food was there whenever I needed it to be. Now, I look at food to fuel my body. It's a hard realize that sometimes. I've come by some great coaches and friends that have helped me learn this. I've been doing the paleo diet for six weeks now. I was strict for a month. I'm going to stick with it, I'm allowing myself rice occasionally and yogurt once a day. Mostly to switch things up.
2) Exercise is super important and my body feels weird without it. I started doing Muay Thai in 2006 under Eric Haycraft (www.realfightersgym.com). BEST DECISION EVER MADE. I learned discipline, I gained a family. I learned that I'm tough, I'm strong, and that I am an athlete. I'm a fighter. I wasn't allowed to give up, I had to try every task before me. I learned to jump rope. I learned to depend on others and reach out. Moving to Nashville was hard, because I had to leave that gym and my coach. Now at HotBox (www.hb4.me), I have learned a lot of the same things. It's a different game. I've improved on my skills, power and speed. I've gained a lot of strength from circuit training classes and flexibility in yoga.
3) You can't lose weight alone. This is not a journey taken by yourself. People help you along the way. I am fiercely independent. I don't ask for help, I throw fits when people buy my drink/meal/etc, even if the tasks takes me longer without help, I'd rather do it myself. In this journey, I have learned that I have to put my hand out sometimes and ask for help. I have to have my trainer get in my face and yell at me to keep going. I need the people on my team.
Thank you, readers, for being a part of this journey too. What's next? Well, I'm going to continue down this path. I have a bit more to go. I'm focusing on getting stronger, leaner. I'm not focused as much on a number anymore. More on how my body feels.
Good luck.
-Amos
