The Man, The Myth, The Legend: Meet William!

My name is William and one year ago I was severely obese. I consulted a specialist about getting my stomach banded to help me lose the weight. The surgeon’s office only had one scale that was capable of weighing me and when I stepped on it it said 553 and ¾ pounds; I call it 554 pounds. I had type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and was taking several medications to control both. I had sleep apnea, and had swelling of the feet and ankles, and my joints were deteriorating. To put it mildly: I was having several severe debilitating health issues. It was difficult for me to do many normal physical activities that most people take for granted, such as getting in and out of a car or even sitting in a movie theater seat. Even worse, I found it extremely difficult and sometimes impossible to participate in many of the once-in-a-lifetime events with my son as he was growing up such as football games, or even taking my wife to the ballet or theater for a night out on the town. I needed to lose 50 pounds to even be considered for any surgery, and even then there was a high risk that I could pass away on the operating table. I had to lose weight for my family, and most importantly, for myself, to save my life.

On September 21st, 2011, I committed to making a drastic change in my life. I decided to decline the surgery and took a natural approach to losing weight. I gave myself a year to attempt losing at least 100 pounds, and started a diet and exercise program. Losing such a large amount of weight seemed to be an insurmountable task; I liken it to climbing Everest with absolutely no experience. If I was going to put in the hard work, I wanted to give myself the best possible chance at success. I looked into utilizing several different tools to help me achieve my goal. The first tool I used was the BodyMedia system to accurately track my calories burned and taken in. This system consists of an arm monitor that 90% accurately tracks your calories burned. The second tool that I used was a Garmin heart rate monitor to track my cardio to ensure that I was in the right zone for weight loss. I also consulted my personal physician and seeked the advice of a nutrition specialist. I would follow up with my nutritionist and doctor every month, where they would review my food and exercise logs, as well as take blood panels every two months to make sure that physically I was on the right track. I seeked out knowledge from magazine articles online as well as seeking out the advice of a few co-workers that had already found success in losing weight and getting healthy. I asked for the support of my family, friends and coworkers. 

My diet was very simple: 

Consisting of taking in 1500 to 2000 calories a day with no more than 10 to 15% fat. To keep me from straying, I packed my lunch the night prior to working. I weighed and logged every calorie that went into my mouth. I cut out all soda and fast food immediately and looked towards more natural foods to sustain myself. I also ate smaller meals every two to three hours to jump start my metabolism and keep me from feeling hungry. Fruits and vegetables were a major portion of my diet, along with two to three servings of proteins and grains daily. In short; a much more balanced diet. I actually hate the word “diet”, I prefer to call it “eating healthy”. I am proud to say that I have not cheated on my diet since I started! It wasn’t always easy. I remember the pain of smelling Popeye’s Chicken with red beans and rice one day about three months into this process. I just kept reminding myself of how many minutes of treadmill work I would need to do to cancel out one Popeye’s meal.

My workout program: 

Blood, sweat and tears. I purchased a gym membership from 24 Hour Fitness. My workout program started off with me only being able to do a limited amount on the treadmill; I remember my first day I could only do 5 minutes at no incline and I felt like I was going to die! I was sweating profusely and felt like my heart was going come out of my chest. I slowly worked my way up to being able to complete 40 to 50 minutes of cardio daily, and challenged myself by adding incline as I progressed. I would push myself to burn more calories every time I stepped on the treadmill. About 7 months into my program I stepped on a stairmaster and kicked my weight loss into high gear. Two of the milestones I remember on the stair machine were climbing 110 flights of stairs (the Sears Tower) , and a couple of months later climbing 210 flights (taller than the highest building in the world located in Dubai). I also worked my way up from lifting weights twice a week, to lifting every day I go in to workout. I have averaged 5 days a week in the gym and have added outside activities as well. I love to hike, jog, and even have taken up riding my bike to work. I kept hearing about hiking a local park called Mission Peak located in Fremont California. This hike was very challenging, with 30-40% inclines the entire way to the top and an elevation gain of 2400 feet in 3 miles. I completed this hike for the first time in August, and have since gone back once in September with my son (who has lost 140 pounds working out with me over the past year). We have made a pact to hike this once a month as a father and son team, trying to beat our previous time. 

What has the payoff been for all of this hard work? It all boils down to quality of life, and gaining a whole new outlook. At 554 pounds I lived in a bubble of sorts, relying on food as a crutch for all of my problems. Working hard, pushing, expanding my personal limits, and achieving what I felt was impossible, has taught me that I can do anything that I set my mind to. My relationship with my son and wife has improved dramatically. I recently took my wife to Les Miserables( a riveting play in San Francisco), and enjoy taking long hikes with my son where we talk about life’s events. On September 21, 2012, I celebrated my one year anniversary weighing in at 244 pounds: a total of 310 pounds lighter ( an average of .84 pounds a day). I have been cleared by my doctor for my diabetes and high blood pressure and no longer take any medication. My wife can attest that I no longer have sleep apnea and do not snore any more. I have gone from a size 74 pant to a 40 and I have the pants to prove it!

I continue to set goals for myself, and am looking forward to completing “Tough Mudder” next year: an extreme military style obstacle course where you climb over walls, slosh thru ice latent mud pits, and even run thru an electrified obstacle course. I have also considered climbing Half Dome with a fellow coworker who loves mountaineering. I have started studying for my personal trainer certification through a nationally accredited organization called NASM, so that I can “pay my success forward” and help others that want to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. I have a new found passion for sharing my unique insight and perspective of making the journey from being an obese person on deaths door, to a much happier individual living a fuller, healthier life. I have learned to live again, and want to help others that are facing extreme obesity. Whatever the future has in store for me, I am confident that I can take it on and succeed.

William

Here is Williams before and after photo that he shared with me, and I wanted to share it with all of you!