The Start: 222.9 pounds and 31.6% body fat

Some ten years ago, I found myself at age 23 and 240 pounds (approximately 40% body fat). I was unhappy with myself, unhappy in the relationship I was in and overall just unhappy. Through hard exercise and some sort of diet, I lost sixty to seventy pounds. Since then, I've stayed in about the 170 to 180 pound range for the most part and been physically active by lifting weights and running. I wish I remember what it felt like to lose that weight, but honestly I don't remember much of it at all. Binge eating was something I learned at a young age from my mother, but beyond that I currently find myself not being able to relate to many of my health coaching and personal training clients with their weight loss goals. I wonder if I could relate better if I intentionally gained fifty pounds and then documented losing it again? Well, that's exactly what I did. Well, I did the gaining part at least and now it's time to start the losing part. From last summer to today, I've gained fifty pounds (172 to 222). Here I am in a picture from last spring and a picture today:

It took me about eight months to put on the weight and I would've started the losing process about a month earlier, but my dad had emergency open heart surgery at the beginning of February and I went down to help him and my mom. Being around such a stressful health event really put my weight gain project into perspective. I want to do this for myself and I want to show others they can do it too.

Gaining fifty pounds in eight months is actually quite painful. The majority of my weight gain came in the form of $2 Tony's pizzas (1300 calories each), Taco Bell, cereal, doughnuts (my biggest food vice) and generally eating much more than I should. Here are some things I've learned through gaining fifty pounds in eight months:

1. Heartburn is no fun. I've developed some chronic heartburn and acid reflux now that is truly horrible. Taking antacids has become a part of my nightly routine and I look forward to this being a thing of the past.

2. It's so much easier to eat a ton of carbs than a ton of protein (although, I did think I was giving myself diabetes for a bit). I've gained such a respect for a protein-rich diet. It's not for everyone, but I find I get fuller so much quicker by eating protein rich foods instead of carbohydrate rich foods.

3. I take so many things for granted about my health. The following things have become incredibly difficult, uncomfortable or impossible: tying my shoes, stretching, doing exercises in the prone position, walking up stairs, running (impossible now because it hurts too much and I'm at too high a risk of injury), feeling attractive, it's become impossible to NOT chafe (so annoying and embarrassing), I sweat all the time, and I'm sure I'm missing more that I can't think of. All of this to say, I have such a higher respect for obese and morbidly obese individuals who decide to make a change to their nutrition and exercise habits. It's not easy! Plus, I will no longer take my health/fitness for granted. I got to the point where I thought running three miles wasn't a big deal, but it is a huge deal because I can't do it now without it hurting a lot. Running a 5k is a big deal!

4. Fast food and junk food are ADDICTING. Over the last six to eight months I've found myself eating things like crackers and junk food without necessarily wanting them. It's like it magically finds its way into my hands and then into my mouth. Also, the combination of french fries and ketchup is a powerful force. For me, it's the perfect one-two punch. I know I'll crave this combination along with doughnuts as I start to lose weight.

5. When you tell people you're going to gain fifty pounds intentionally, they think you're crazy.

So today I weighed in at 222.9 (as seen above) and 31.6% body fat. In one year (March 9, 2017), I plan on being between 12-15% body fat. I'm doing a body fat percentage goal instead of a scale weight goal because I don't think the scale is that important and too much emphasis is placed on scale weight by others. My goal isn't as much a number as a look and feel. I want to be strong, lean and athletic which to me means having around 12-15% body fat. Also, I'm taking a year to lose the fat instead of eight months because it's more realistic. I could certainly get to an athletic body fat percentage in a little faster time, but I want to be able to enjoy birthdays, holidays and vacations along the way. It's important to be realistic when setting goals.

As far as nutrition goes, I don't eat vegetables. I don't like them, so I don't eat them. No, you don't have to eat vegetables in order to lose weight. I might have a smoothie with veggies in it from time to time, but that's it. When setting goals it's vitally important to be realistic with yourself. If you don't like chicken and broccoli, then don't follow a diet where that's all you eat because at some point you WILL get tired of it. Most of my bigger meals will be meat and pasta or potatoes while my snacks will consist of chicken, fruit, cheese and Greek yogurt. My nutrition goal is simple:

- Track and follow calories on MyFitnessPal (brandonfitwin). Based on my lab results, their calories are pretty accurate, so I'll just keep it simple and go with their recommendations. I believe their macros (fat, carb, protein) are a little off, so I won't pay as much attention to that.

I think it's important when starting a program like this to eat as much as you can while still losing body fat. As you can see by my MFP account, I'm starting with a caloric intake as high as 2,500 calories a day. Sure, I could lose body fat faster eating 2,000 calories a day, but I might lose muscle by dropping my calories too low and I want to limit as much muscle loss as I can since muscle burns so many more calories than fat does. When wanting to lose body fat and maintain a fit physique, muscle is your friend.

Next, my exercise plan is pretty simple as well. Here are my fitness goals for the next year:
1. Strength training at least twice a week.
2. Do at least 20 minutes of brisk cardio five times a week.
3. Have fun exercising.

Again, I think it's important to keep things simple. I like lifting weights, running stairs, doing the elliptical, walking incline on the treadmill and hiking, so that's what I'll do.

For the purpose of time management, I imagine my posts from here on out will be fairly short and to the point. After this one, I plan on posting once a week to talk about that week's struggles and triumphs.

Here I go!