OK, change of topic; MY FAT ASS

I'm gaining weight again.

From 1988 2001 I was on a steady trend of bloating every fat cell in my body until I attained the magnificent stature commensurate with a 300 LB+ girth (retail scales stop at 300 pounds). I was tired all the time. On medication for depression and high blood pressure. I even was awarded a high risk rating by my life insurance company for my efforts. Since I'm 6'4", I thought that I could carry my weight well, but I was kidding myself.

I weighed 150 pounds my junior year of High School. Ballooned up to 175 by the time I started college and bounced between 150 and 175 until leaving grad school. I was an all-state basketball player, and a 3 year varsity baseball player. I even received an athletic scholarship to college.

Lo and behold, 12 years and 3 knee surgeries later I was well over 300 pounds. I couldn't fit into some booths at fast food joints. I found it hard to get help at certain kind of stores (fat people discrimination). People would ignore me. (I know, you're happy for me). I couldn't play with my kids or my wife for that matter. I felt miserable, mentally and physically.

I'd tried to go to the gym over the years, but it was incredibly embarrassing to be the fatty in the midst of a sea of hard bodies. What's more, I couldn't exercise. At least not how I wanted to in front of all of these hotties. I couldn't run. I couldn't walk very far. Forget about lifting weights. Wasn't going to happen.

Christmas day 2001, my wife bought me a stationary bike delivered with the threat that if I wasn't using it in 30 days it would be returned to the store. I think she was trying to tell me something ;)

I started out riding the stationary bike 30 minutes a day, but I was eating the same way I had for years. Here's what was in my typical daily trough.

Breakfast: 2-3 sausage biscuits with egg. 1-2 hash browns and an orange juice.
Lunch: 2 Whoppers or Quarter Pounders with Cheese, super size fries, and super size Coke.
Snack on the way home from work: White castle or Arby's Cheese Sticks, or 20 piece Chicken Nuggets
Supper: Often another couple of Whoppers or Quarter pounders w/Cheese or whatever was made for supper that night
PLUS: 6-12 cans of Coke per day
AND: 1 heaping bowl of ice cream smothered with chocolate sauce

So, while I was riding the bike daily, I wasn't making a lot of progress. I started to trim back on the amounts of what I was consuming. After a couple of months of this, I was under 300 lbs. I could actually weigh myself!

Long story shortened, after 2 years of gradually increasing my workout regimen and moving to a low-fat diet, I got down to a weight of 185 lbs. WOO HOO! I threw out all my old clothes and went nuts buying new stuff. I was a 32" waist and loving it.

I don't know what happened though. I fell off the wagon somehow this year and gradually stopped working out. Then I went back to eating crappy food. Not to the disgusting levels of before, but I was eating the taboo foods like chips, burgers, fries, and ice cream. My wife kept bringing it home, so I'd eat it. Now, I'm back to about 215 lbs and starting to feel like crap again.

I got on the bike for an hour tonight. For inspiration, I watched Supersize Me. I think I'm going to start tracking my progress and diet again on this blog. I think I'm also going to start reviewing some movies and books. Maybe it will give you something to comment on, since nobody seems interested in politics.

Besides, I don't want to buy new clothes again.