I am a 42-year-old job seeking male. I decided with health care costs spiraling out of control, my weight could be an issue in getting a job so I decided to do something about my weight.
Since March 16, 2010, I have dropped over 150 pounds.
UPDATE – I am now back in the workforce!!!
Starting Weight -323
Current Weight – 170.7
Goal – 175
For the most part I have used a low carb diet based on Atkins and Sugar Busters.
My menu has been mostly eggs, cheese, chicken, hamburger, olive oil, red wine vinegar, red beans and raw spinach with a string cheese snack. Other than the occasional cheat, those ingredients have comprised the majority of my meals for the last 16 months.
I have tried to keep calories and sodium under 1500 every day. I started the first 5 months not paying too much attention to sodium but due to blood pressure issues, I do try to keep it under 1500 most days.
Just as in any 12 step program, I seek progress not perfection. Take the diet a day at a time. If you have a bad day, don’t use this as an excuse to quit. Simply start over. Get through each day. Don’t worry about tomorrow.
Unfortunately I am still seeking employment but at least I have knocked off over 150 pounds. 😀
People keep asking for a before /after photo set. I don’t have any decent shots of before. Not really possible back then. 😀
Wedding in mid 2007. I must have been near my peak here.
I gave up alcohol for a whole year before I started dieting, so the picture above has to be more than 323.
That was at a party back in 2007, probably June.
Took these on February 19, 2011. Check out how many belt notches I have lost.
This picture is at least 116 pounds lighter than the before picture. Still have some work to do but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
About 137 down on May 26, 2011.
Another shot from May 26, 2011.
DISCLAIMER
I am not a dietitian, nutritionist, doctor or physical trainer. Any wisdom gleaned from these pages is to be used at your own discretion. All information should be used only for entertainment purposes. Consult your doctor before starting a diet. 😛
The Grumpy Man's Guide to Losing weight & keeping it off 
I was reading through your blog and I see I am in great company when it comes to the dreaded “plateau”, ugh. I can so relate to the frustration of it! LOL. You are absolutely correct though, don’t throw in the towel, just keep on going anyway. If I had only done that the last 100 times I’ve been on a “diet” maybe I would have actually gotten somewhere.
I see you are on a really strict eating plan. I am not. Though I do stay away from certain things, for example the donuts my husband brought home from the grocery store that he got “free” when he bought milk and a few other things. Donuts…not worth the guilt. I have tried my very best to eat mostly whole foods and lean meats. For me, the entire thing is really about portion control. I have found that I can eat a wide variety of foods but I pay very special attention to portions and it seems to be working well for me. I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything. Oh, and sugar free jello for desserts, when I need a dessert, LOL.
Congrats on your weight loss. What an accomplishment. I know you haven’t quite reached your goal yet but you are soooo close and must feel so proud of your achievement. By the way…I don’t have the guts to put up a current pic of my on my weight loss blog site. Maybe once I lose a LOT of weight I will consider doing just that.
Cathy Haines Gray
Thanks for the support. It seems that I am still stuck on the plateau.
Believe me, I wouldn’t have posted a pic until right about where I am now and I really didn’t want to post the before pic but it is the only way to really see the accomplishment. Heck, that before pick wasn’t even mine. It was on a friends facebook page. I have been avoiding having my picture taken for years.
Portion control is of course key to weight loss. As some guy proved recently, you can lose weight eating twinkies if you stay within a certain calorie range. Having said that, portion control with a little science can make the weight drop a little faster. Your body has two engines. One runs on carbs and one runs on fat. The normal engine that most people use is the carb burning engine. The problem with that engine is that it burns carbs, then muscle and fat. The second engine burns fat first. So that is why Atkins and Low Carb plans work. They change your body engine to the fat burner which speeds up fat loss. End science lesson. 😀
Good luck!
I am so glad I’ve stumbled onto your blog. After reading your story all I can say is WOW. You are awesome! I can only imagine what a difficult, yet completely rewarding journey it’s been 🙂 You look great!!
Thanks!
This time around it really hasn’t been as hard as it was in the past. Mainly because I have not killed myself with exercise too. Not that exercise isn’t a tremendous benefit to one’s health but I think most dieters try to do too much at once and end up making their life miserable to the point they toss in the towel.
I haven’t done that this time around. Sure there have been tough days, but most days I don’t even think about hunger.
If I ever get my bike I am going to have to be careful I don’t overdue it right out the gate since I’m in turrrrrrible shape. 😀
The Grumpy Man
You are an inspiration. Great job. Not evryoe can be as committed and regimented, but any progress is good progress, and in the end, it’s not the weight but the quality of life and love and self that matters. Keep it up!
Thanks for the support and kind words.
The Grumpy Man
WOW! Congratulations – you’ve done so brilliantly! What an inspiration – I am sure you are no longer Grumpy 🙂 great blog! 🙂
Once a grump always a grump. 😀
Bravo Grumpy Man. You are an inspiration to me. I’ve subscribed to your blog and look forward to following your triumphs and also to seeing when Walmart gets the bike to you…
Thanks. Looks like at least another week or longer on the bike but at least the shipping is free and $50.00 got knocked off. I just hope I can put the thing together when it gets here. 😀
What an accomplishment so far! I hope I am as successful as you. Great Blog and I look forward to reading more.
Thanks for the kind words. 😀
Thanks for your comment on my blog! I’m really impressed with your results so far. Wow, 100 pounds! That has to feel good. I read through your blog trying to find out about why you hated Walmart and couldn’t help but be amused (I think this comes from my Mom, who always laughs at others’ suffering) but your rants! I hope you get the bike thing worked out to your satisfaction and much luck to you on continuing your weight-loss journey. Here’s to maintenance!
Thanks. I’ve updated the walmart news. I pray the bike saga ends well. 😀
The Grumpy Man
What an amazing accomplishment. Well done. Good luck with the achieving your remaining goals. I’ll be following.
Thanks. 😀
Hey there!
Congrats on your weight loss, it’s amazing to see people like you who have decided to improve their health and lifestyle through self motivation. You’re doing better than any contestant on Biggest Loser 😀
Thanks for the support.
Thanks for the comment you left at my brand new blog! Encouragement is great! Congratulations on your 100 + loss. I’ll definitely be coming back to read your blog. – Becky
Thanks! 😀
Thanks for your comment on my blog. Unfortunately I do have children, so the temptation is always there!I hope you are able to keep up your good work. Enjoyed reading your blog and will be waiting to hear how the bike riding goes.
Well that means you need to be even stronger. Good luck! 😀
Thanks for your support.
Wow! Great photos…what an achievement! I hope I too can have a comparison photo set like that!
Good luck and well done! x
Thanks. Stay committed to your goals and you will reach them. Yeah, I know. Easier said than done. 😀
Hi there! Thank you for the comment!
I have just started on my journey and appreciate any encouragement. After reading some of your posts and reading your About Me page I feel more motivated than ever! You have done so much in a small amount of time that most people can’t do or never even try to do. So much discipline and courage. I will continue reading your blog for inspiration. Congratulations on your success and best wishes with your future endeavors!
-Nanette
Thanks for the kind comments. Just keep up the great work you are doing and have a great week.
Wow I see I’m not the only one that has been struggling with my weight, this age has been very inspiring and I hope that one day I can also serve as an inspiration to someone else. I know I have a long way to go and it motivates me the concept you mentioned here about taking it day by day and not allowing the failure of one day define the next. Thank and keep up the good work.
One day at a time really is the way to tackle most of life’s problems. I know in the past I would let the future overwhelm me and I would definitely use a few mistakes as an excuse to give up. So this time I don’t worry about the future and I brush off any mistakes.
Good luck reaching your goals.
OMG!! that photos are awesome!!! now I´m more sure i chosen the right way to lose weight!
Eat well!
Ewa
Thanks. Keep up your good work. 😀
You have got 2 become my BFF online… I am loving your blog and congrats on the weight loss. I am just getting started on my journey as you will see if you care to check out my blog, however, I am so motivated by your story. Again congrats!
Thanks 😀
Wow, you look great. Keep up the good work!
Thank you very much. 😀
hi, love your blog and your before/after pictures are fantastic, congratulations!!
Re biking, did you start biking whilst you were 300+ lbs? If yes, what kinsd of bike did you get to support your weight? I want to start cycling but my current weight is 367lbs. I’ve done some research but would much prefer the advice of someone who has been there and done it.
Thanks in advance and I look forward to reading your future posts.
Paul
Nope. I started this blog in February and didn’t get the bike until the beginning of March.
I think most road bikes could hold you. I just got a cheap road bike from Walmart. I had trouble with the seat when I started riding but that was my fault for not putting it together properly.
I have a link to Optifast loser on my page. I know he tried biking at a much higher weight than me so you might pop over to his site and ask him about his bike. From pictures it just looks like a standard road bike. He too had trouble with his seat falling down, but he too realized it was his fault for not fixing it correctly.
Good luck. If you want to add exercise at your weight, I would set very small goals. Don’t over do it. I tend to over do it most of the time but I’ve built up stronger mental toughness over the last 14 months of this diet. Stop by anytime with questions and I’ll answer them if I can.
In short, a road bike should be fine for your weight but it would be best to check with optifast loser since he was probably heavier than you when he bought his bike.
Cheers.
I’ve known the Grumpy Man since we were, what, six? And we’ve been friends for almost that long. What can I say except that seeing him last week for the first time in a couple of years was a WOW! Congrats on the major changes and the self-control they certainly required. Way to go!
Thanks Dave. 😀
It’s been a real pain in the A but a worthwhile pain in the A.
Hello, I stumbled across your post here:
https://lost100pounds.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/
and had to tell you that the front fork of your bike is flipped. The whole wheel plus front fork should be facing the other direction. Just to let you know for safety and comfortable riding reasons.
You need to educate me bit because the bike looks just like the pictures of it on the net and most of the assembly was done by Walmart.
Sorry for the late reply! If you take a look here at the bike on Walmart’s site:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/700c-M-Savannah-road-bike-model-56760-black/12517029
and compare the front fork. The picture on Walmart’s site has the fork curving away, to the front, while the fork on your bike is installed with it curving backward, to the back of the bike. Notice that the bike’s brakes should be in front, while the brakes on your bike are on the back. It’s actually a common mistake by Walmart assembly. To correct it requires loosening a bunch of bolts on the top and turning the fork around, so someone who’s done it before should prob help. Maybe a bike shop would charge a few bucks to correct it. The fork being flipped around makes steering harder and the bike a little off-balance.
Ahh. I now see what you are talking about. Hmmm. Going to have to put on my thinking cap to fix it. Thanks.
I just loosened the handlebar bolt and then turned the fork. It wasn’t hard at all. Thanks again. 😀
Oh wow. You’ve done so well! Congratulations! I know sticking to a diet plan is really hard so to see that you’ve stuck to yours for so long is really inspiring.
Wow! The pictures really tell the story. Congrats on the incredible weight loss.
Your blog is exactly what I’m looking for. encouragement that I can do it. i came across your blog few minutes back and have been reading it back to back since then.
thank you for sharing your experience. it has motivated me in the way what I needed.
All the best! 🙂 And the pictures are a further encouragement. Keep it up! Your doing great!! 🙂 🙂
Thanks. Pictures really do tell the tale. I wish I had taken more along the way. 😀
Amazing story, truly inspirational. Thank you for allowing us to follow it.
Regards,
David
Thanks. Good luck with continued success.
wow that’s impressive.
Good job on your exceptional weight loss goal. I know you are only a fraction of a pound off, but the pictures are amazing.
Thanks. About 1.2 from my low point and I am probably going to go a bit lower to offset some of the water gain from quitting Atkins. 😀
I hope you don’t think it silly, but I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. I really enjoy your blog, and am impressed with your dedication to it and to your weight loss.
To find out more, read my latest post at http://typicaltracy.wordpress.com/
Wow, 3 words… A – Maz – Ing. I look forward to following more Grumpy Man! Your pictures are simply unbelievable. You don’t even look like the same person!
Thanks! Happy New Years!
Hey Grumpy, I always like to see pictures, and these are very motivational. Do you have a problem with lose skin after such a big weight loss?
I am looking forward to following your blog for your eating/snacking suggestions. For me, one of the hardest part of losing weight is finding food that I like and that is easy to cook.
thanks
Jolene
I don’t have a big loose skin issue. Some, but I think over time it will settle out right. I didn’t lose an insane amount real fast but spread it out over almost 2 years now.
I keep my food boring and simple. That doesn’t work for everyone but I hate cleaning up. As you can see, I pretty much eat the same thing over and over although every couple of months I get sick of the menu and change it a little bit.
Thats AWESOME!!!!!!!! Good on you! Such an accomplishment!
Thanks!!!
It has been an interesting 2 years.
Congrats on your weight loss!
I am writing to you because I have started up a project to help encourage & inspire overweight/obese people. Its a website called http://www.transformationpics.com Ive constructed it in a blog type format & it features those of us who have made healthy lifestyle transformations. My Husband and I have both lost over 100ibs and have kept it off for 2 years now. I know for myself, It was a chore to search around to find inspiring material for motivation. I thought it would be nice to have some all in one place with links to the individuals respective websites. What I would like if you have the time or are inclined. Is a before/after pic, your before/after stats and a brief backstory of your journey(optional), You can also include links to your blog, website, youtube, social media. You can email it to transformationphotos@gmail.com or With your permission, I could use before/after photos from your site, & if you have a blog post already on your transformation story, you can include the link to that as well and I could use that. I hope you can contribute.
Thanks for your time
Rhonda