Starting at the Begining.
Yep, Thats me. Or it was me, back in Febuary. all 310, cigaette smoking, pizza eating pounds of me.
As far as I am concerned, thats when my new life began. Before that, I couldn't get a handle on anything in my life. In March, I posted this at the wight loss forum (which can be linked to from the side column)
Ok, Heres the skinny... My name is Chris and I've decided that my life is (or was) out of control. Not just my weight, mind you, there are other aspect also. But I'll try and stick to the subject at hand.In 1996, I wasen't invited to re-enlist in the Marine Corps due to my weight, I wasen't that fat. Just 215 when I was suppose to be at 197. Hell, I had a good excuse My dad had just died and my Girlfeind flew the coop while I was home burying him. Needless to say, I didn't care about anything. And so in went the food and up went the weight.
On it stayed and up it went untill I was at 260 in 2002. Sept 11 had just happened a few months prior and I was begining to feel very helpless. Eventually I figured out I could join the Border Patrol as the weight restrictions weren't as Heafty as the Marines, And I'd still be searving my country. So I started Running again for the first time in years. My diet got good and things were looking up. I passed my psychical , My background checks and all that was left was waiting for my ship date. But time passed .Lotsa time. And the more time that passed, the more I didn't hear from them, I began to think something was up. Sure enough By the time I figured out who to call and find out they wern't hiring anymore I was to old to join. My 37th birthday was in 2004 and that was the cut-off. No border patrol.
Becouse of that Inaction on my part, I got depressed again. so on went the weight. Mom died, on went the weight. Eventually by christmas of 2005 I was up to 310. And like others here I was just drifting around doing nothing with myself. Bills started to pile up and my Live in Girlfriend lost her job so we couldn't pay them. The hounds were truely at my door. We coudn't answer the phone becouse we knew it was just another bill collector that we can't afford to pay. We have to hide the car around the corner becouse the Repo man comes on a nightly basis. The dogs have ripped the floor tiles up and the wall paper off the wall. The Washing machine got repossesed. And dagnabbit, we need a dishwasher.
Then sometime last month, I found an article in the Boston Globe about how the Army was hurting for people. They had loosened the age restriction from 34 to 40 years old. And I begain to think that I might have a chance. I would have to do a lot of work and fast but still the odds were better then what they would be if I didn't take that chance. So I went down and talked to a recuiter. Nice kid whose wife was expecting their second child, Standing there at 310 and 39 asking about joining the army, I just knew they wern't going to take me seriously. But I knew different. Heck 3 years ago I did the same thing with the Boarder Patrol So I knew If I set my mind to it, I Could accomplish this. For the Army it's not about weight, It's about Body Fat. When I started this thing. (I don't call it a diet, I call it a life-style change) I was at 310 and a body fat reaching 40%. Since the end of Febuary when I started in earnest, I have lost 35 pounds and 6%body fat Now I'm at 275 with a body fat closing in on 34%. (it helps to have a short stubby and muscular neck when figgering body fat). I may have to sacrifice everything thats left that I hold dear in my life up to this point. But I can't live like this anymore. My Girlfriend thinks I'm nuts! But Knows also knows the landlord is selling the house, meaning the rent is likely to go up substantually.
SO thats where it all started for me. Since I posted that, I have lost a bunch more weight and am closer to 230 with only a little more to go. There is of course a lot more to the story than just "lose the weight and your in the army" And I am sure I will get to that over time. Like I said, This just looked like a good place to start.
