My Journey To Losing 100 Pounds.

When we last spoke, I left you with a cliffhanger concerning watermelons. And then, like a fleeting phantom in the night...

I was gone.

It's been approximately two and a half months since I published a blog article. Many of my dedicated readers probably wondered where I got off to. What happened? Well, here's the story.

Nearly all of my life, I have been overweight. Food became a coping mechanism for stress early in my youth. When I was sad, I ate. When I was angry, I ate. When I was depressed, I ate even more! Entering first grade as a child, I ballooned up and got husky (a term that just oozes 1980's nostalgia). During my middle school years, I weighed in the ballpark of 250 pounds. I started high school at 275 pounds. By the time I graduated in June of 2000, I was a whopping 303 pounds.

Over the course of the following decade, I continued to eat myself to death. Between 2011 and 2012, I topped out at an astounding 343 pounds. My late teens and twenties were an emotionally tumultuous period, and it showed in a very tangible way. I wore my emotions on my sleeve... and on my gut, back, shoulders, arms, legs and ass.

In August of 2013, I decided enough was enough and began a journey to better health. There's no coincidence that my physical health began to improve parallel with my mental health. I started writing this blog to heal emotionally and spiritually. As I let go of the internal baggage holding me back, so too did I relinquish the very physical baggage weighing me down.

Over the past three years, I've transformed myself on the inside and on the outside. Today, I write to you a healthier man, a happier man...

a man that weighs 100 pounds lighter.

When I first started my weight loss, I never even imagined I'd lose this much weight. I thought I'd get twenty or thirty pounds off and call it a day. I just assumed I was meant to be a big guy the rest of my life. Just getting to 300 pounds was an achievement in my book.

But... I kept going. I'm not sure why, but I just kept going. I developed a sense of willpower which I didn't have ever before. Luckily, I also had a partner in Crystal who supported me at every step of the way. When I was weak, she was there to carry me along. I can't thank her enough.

These past few months, I pushed extra hard to hit my goal -- lose 100 pounds by the end of August. To focus on that goal, I stepped away from writing. Very literally, I needed some me time.

Today, I weigh 243 pounds.

Thankfully, I don't have a lot of extra skin sagging and drooping all over me. I contribute this to losing the weight responsibly and at a reasonable pace. I didn't take any weight loss supplements or magic pills. No surgery was involved, nor any fad diets. I didn't follow the silly rapid weight loss plans that you see on The Biggest Loser (which is why so many of those contestants put the weight right back on).

I feel deflated.

Unfortunately, I still have a big head... but that's something I was blessed with at birth... probably not going anywhere.

I ate right. I controlled my portions. I exercised. I used my willpower to know what not to eat. It's as simple as that.

I know I'm still overweight, but at least I'm able to live a somewhat normal life. I can climb mountains. I can hike trails. I can run without passing out. Heck, I'm moderately cute and attractive (okay, that's a slight stretch). Most importantly, I'm not going to stop. I'd like to get to 220 pounds and see how I look. If I still have some extra pudge, maybe 200 pounds is my finish line. I just don't know yet. Either way, I've done something most people can not say they have ever done. For once, I'm proud of myself.

So what's the takeaway from all of this?

If a schmuck like me can lose a ton of weight, so can you. Just let it go.

The Ketogenic Diet.

I'm on day twelve of a new ketogenic meal plan. Without a doubt, eating this way produces results. I've dropped eight pounds since I started. Currently, I am clocking in at 267 pounds, the lowest I've ever weighed as an adult. In total, I've lost 76 pounds since I started my weight loss journey. The ketogenic plan is easy to follow (as long as you like meat) and my drive to continue is unwavering. It's a shame I didn't discover it sooner.

All that being said, the ketogenic method is kicking my ass.

What does it mean to eat a ketogenic diet? Well, it involves consuming a high amount of fat, a moderate amount of protein and few carbohydrates. By eating in this manner, the lessened amount of carbohydrates puts the body into a state of ketosis. During this metabolic state, the liver begins to break down stored fat in the body to create ketones. Since the body is starved of carbohydrates, the ketones are used as the primary source of energy for functioning. Hence, ketosis forces your body to burn your stored fat to survive. Right now, I'm eating less than 20 grams of carbs per day, and some days as few as 10 grams.

Obviously, that means I can't eat anything with a high amount of sugar, whether natural or processed. No fruits, starchy vegetables, breads or grains. Thankfully, I already cooked and ate in a healthy manner with real, unprocessed foods. Moving into the modified ketogenic meal plan wasn't too hard to do. I just had to cut out starches and fruit.

So, what am I eating? Lots of eggs, protein shakes, tuna fish, sardines, olives, pickles, green vegetables, chicken, pork and beef. Honestly, that's the best part about eating a ketogenic meal plan -- all the meat. I LOVE meat.  Don't get me wrong, I like vegetables and fruit, too. But, if I were a dinosaur, I'd definitely have been a carnivore.

"Feed Me!"

As I edge closer to completing my second week on the plan, I'm encountering the normal side effects of transitioning my body into ketosis -- general weakness, lethargy and some brain fog. It's to be expected, but will eventually pass as my body burns the last of my stored sugars. From that point on, my body will rely completely on stored fat reserves for energy.

Be advised -- the ketogenic meal plan isn't for everyone, especially people with diabetes. It takes a fair amount of research and dedication to make a ketogenic diet work. That being said, I'm glad to finally be in the in the 260's (haven't been here since middle school) and look forward to eclipsing 100 pounds of weight loss.

Further Information:

A Guide to the Keto Diet
Ketogenic Diet Plan

(Extra) Large And In Charge.

I'll have what she's having.

Just a small tidbit of information to post today, but I felt it worthy to highlight in my weight loss journey. It's been forever and a day since I've worn a size XL (extra large) shirt. I must have been in middle school the last time I wore one. When I was at my heaviest weight of 343 lbs. towards the end of 2012, I wore a XXXL shirt. Yeah... I was huge. Over the course of the past two years, I moved back into a XXL shirt. In the past few months, they've become increasingly big on me, though.

Today, I fit into a size XL button up shirt. It made me feel damn proud of myself.

Mind you, I don't fit into all XL shirts just yet -- it changes from maker to maker. But, I can at least wear some size XL shirts and I'm increasingly finding myself being swallowed more and more by XXL size shirts. At some point, I hope I can completely transition to the XL size and leave XXL behind.

Is this a monumental achievement? No. But, it does reflect the hard work I've invested into improving my quality of life. Plus, it makes me happy. One day, I hope to have a collection of fat clothes that can remind me of how far I've come.

Stomach Pains.

I've been making a hard push to reach the low-to-mid 270 lbs. range for the past week. So far, I'm on the right track. When I've weighed myself over the course of the past few mornings, I've been as low as 278. I'd like to accomplish my goal by the end of the month, so I've got to keep pushing. That being said, the manner through which I've readjusted my eating schedule has not been easy.

Up until recently, I would eat a solid breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now, I eat a liquid breakfast and dinner. Only my lunch is composed of solid food. At breakfast and dinner, I'll consume a protein shake (either a strawberry or peanut butter recipe). Lunch is now my largest meal of the day; I treat it like I normally would a dinner meal. My stomach hasn't been so fond of me eating only one solid meal a day. For the first time today, I experienced true hunger pains. It felt as if caterpillars strapped with razor blades were churning through my stomach. Boy, let me tell you... I think I know how starving kids feel. Accordingly, eating only one solid meal a day has made it difficult for me to ingest a large amount of food. My stomach simply can't stretch to accommodate the load like it once could. A typical dinner-size meal I could once eat now gives me a stomach ache. As I readjust, I believe I need to reduce the amount of solid food I eat for lunch, but consume food that's higher in nutritional and caloric value.

I must reiterate -- my daily routine includes vigorous exercise. No diet plan is complete without some form of exercise, obviously. Over the course of an entire day, I net between 750 and 1100 calories with my exercise being taken into consideration.

I'm thankful to finally hit 278 lbs.; I haven't weighed this much since my freshman year of high school. That was nineteen years ago! In the short term, I'd like to reach at least 260-265 lbs. by the onset of the holiday season. Of course, trying to lose weight during the holidays is next to impossible, but I am experienced in how to maintain my weight at a steady level.

65 lbs. down... Onward to the next milestone!

Quit Making Excuses.

Now that we're into the month of March, it's safe to say that nearly everyone whom made a New Year's resolution to lose weight has officially given up. They're back to drinking sugary Starbucks coffee by the gallon and straight-lining McDonald's french fries right into their blood stream.

If you're going to guzzle Gatorade, at least exercise hard like the athletes in their television commercials.

Coincidentally, it's also the time of year where people begin making excuses for being overweight and unhealthy.

• I just had a baby.
• My kid(s) made me fat.
• I work too much.
• My hormones are all messed up.
• My metabolism is slow.
• I don't have time to watch what I eat.
• I'm too poor to eat healthy.
• I don't cook my own meals.
• I have X condition that makes me unable to exercise.

I have a message for you -- quit making excuses.

If you are overweight and/or in poor health, then it is (except in rare medical cases) your own choice. I speak from experience. For years, I failed to eat right, didn't exercise and generally disregarded my own physical health. I used food as a crutch for my emotional distress. When I got stressed out, I ate. When I got sad, I ate. When I got angry, I ate. It was my own fault. It wasn't until I was willing to be honest with myself that I could begin to change.

You see, that's the one talent that many overweight people share -- they're really skillful at lying to themselves.

What upsets me even more is the current environment we've crafted within our society that makes it so easy to be overweight. If anything, we now live in a country where you absolutely must accept someone being fat. Otherwise, you're fat shaming them. I'll paraphrase this position:

"How rude of people that are encouraging proper health and exercise. You MUST love me for being fat. Fat is beautiful!"

Ugh. Eat some cauliflower and shut up, would you?

You want to know why you believe fat is beautiful? Because you're too lazy (or unwilling) to improve your physical health. Instead of making a change for the better, you've settled into your obese frame and given up. To make it appear as if that's your own choice, you now want others to accept your girth as a supposed statement of beauty.

Let me be clear -- all people can be beautiful, no matter their physical size. As a heterosexual male, I believe a woman can be 90 lbs., 160 lbs. or 250 lbs. and still be gorgeous and attractive. When I was a single man, I never selected who I dated based upon their size. It just wasn't an issue. You can be overweight and beautiful at the same time. One is not dependent upon the other, though.

If you want to be overweight, then be overweight. That is your choice and I'm okay with that. I will never tear you down or be negative to you over your size. All I ask is that you stop making excuses for your size. Own up to your choice. I'll respect you a lot more if you're just honest about it. And by all means, don't you dare expect others (especially those whom are working to improve their health) to accept your choice as anything but that -- a choice.

Full Disclosure -- I am overweight. I don't want to be a lazy, weak and all around useless fat ass, so I'm working on losing my excess weight. I might have lost more than fifty pounds already in the past year, but I've still got a ways to go. I am not going to give up or make excuses.

Cold Feet.

With it being so cold this past week, I've developed what I like to call a "skinny people problem".

My feet and hands just will not stay warm.

My extremities used to never get cold. Then again, I was pushing 340 lbs. I had enough blubber to keep an entire village of Eskimos warm! Now that I'm down into the 200 pound range, I've noticed I get cold much easier. My hands and feet have suffered the worst, but not as much as they have this past week. The bitter cold we've experienced has not been pleasant by any measure.

As I write this, my feet have four pairs of socks on, plus slippers, plus a heating pad underneath... and they're still not warming up. I have to put gloves on every so often to maintain the heat in my fingers. All in all, it's quite depressing. While I don't miss being a gigantic fat ass, I do miss the warmth that I always had in the winter.

To all my skinny readers out there -- I completely understand your plight now. I can only imagine how much colder I'll be when I take another forty or fifty more pounds off.