Baker by the Pound started just over two years ago and what a journey it as been. After much number crunching from my workout/weight log it really brought many things into perspective.
Look at this guy after his first workout at Orange Theory, feet standing outward, huffing and puffing after his first workout in years. The journey from this guy to what I am now has been long and full of ups and downs, but one thing’s for sure: I’ve learned a ton about myself, my body, and my abilities.
The Journey Begins
Back at that first workout in June 2014, I weighed around 286 lbs. Thankfully, I really enjoyed Orange Theory and kept it up, the longest I’ve ever stuck to a training regime. Unfortunately, I took the “I deserve to eat junk because I’m working out,” approach to nutrition. Despite having an initial 4 lb weight loss my first few months, I ended up gaining weight.
At the end of 2014 I tipped the scale at 301.6 pounds! Seeing that number begin with a 3 hit me extremely hard. I never imagined allowing myself to get to that point, I was in such denial that I even bought a new scale! Here’s the blog I wrote about it at the time it happened.
As an aside, I may have weighed more than 300 pounds prior to then, however, I haven’t weighed myself in years. It just wasn’t a priority of mine, likely because I didn’t want to admit to myself what shape I was in.
Starting To Make Changes in 2015
2015 ended up being a crazy year. My gym held a weight loss competition starting in January and I decided to participate. This marks the first time I really researched what was in food, tracked calories, and started keeping spreadsheets.
My weight dropped and my performance grew at an insanely high rate.
Between January and April, well past the weight loss challenge (I got 2nd btw), I dropped a total of 40 lbs! Going from 301.6 lbs to 261.4 lbs in about 2.5 months, wow!
My physical performance also grew substantially in that time. I transitioned from power walking to jogging on the treadmill, I increased the weights I used on the floor, and I steadily was able to do calisthenic moves with fewer modifications.
Something even happened that I never thought would happen: I signed up for a 5k race!
Facing Adversity
Unfortunately, my tenacity to push myself got the best of me and I developed plantar fasciitis on my left foot. That left foot plantar fasciitis turned into a strained Achilles on my right ankle, and that’s where mentally I broke down.
Perhaps the changes to my diet were too restrictive to keep up, or maybe it was depression from getting injured, either way the change to the routine derailed everything.
Between April and May, I gained 4 lbs back, then I stopped weighing myself. I still went to the gym, but my heart wasn’t into it anymore. In fact, July 14th was the last entry in my spreadsheet for 2015.
What happened was what has plagued me every other time I’ve tried to lose weight. I’d push myself too hard too quickly, I would get hurt, and I would quit.
Further disrupting the routine was a job switch in July. A job which ended up being much more demanding than I thought it would be. The hours made it difficult to get to the gym, and the stress make me give up on nutrition as well, both combined to loss of motivation.
By the next time I weighed myself in January 2016 I was back up to 291 lbs. Essentially, 2015 brought a HUGE weight swing starting at 301.6 lbs, down 40 lbs to 261.2, then gaining 30 lbs back up to 291. That’s a 70 pound total shift!
That couldn’t have been good on my body.
The Journey Stagnates in 2016
In my mind 2016 was basically a wash, which I go into more detail in my 2016 wrap up blog post. Long story short I hovered between 285-291 lbs the entire year. I started the year incredibly unhappy at that job, and in April they actually laid off my entire department.
To stay afloat, I jumped into the foray of the freelance world, which brought on a different set of stress. The inconsistency of work and financials while trying to gain momentum challenged my mental state heavily.
In July, I finally got the Achilles checked out by the doctor. They found no structural damage but sent me to physical therapy due to the chronic nature of the pain. Physical therapy opened my eyes to a lot more than I thought, not only did I learn stretches and strengthening exercises, but I learned about the mechanics of my body.
My feet standing outward (as seen in that first pic above) are examples of things that genetically contributed to my injuries. The structure of my legs give me less than average cushion in my ankles, which is why it’s always ankle/foot injuries and not knee or hip injuries.
I learned how to correct my form running, walking, even standing. Breaking 34 years of habit/incorrect posture is a difficult task, I’m still working to correct it but I definitely feel improvements.
Thanks to the physical therapy, I’m running with much more control, using less energy, and I can feel it affecting the entire chain of my leg. The muscles are adapting and strengthening!
Unfortunately, a lot of those improvements got derailed when I caught a real bad stomach bug in a trip overseas in August. I lost a TON of strength and took a long time to rebuild.
The Silver Lining
The one silver lining came from the least expected source, running 5k races.
Despite the job situation in 2015, I made time to train and participate in that first race I signed up for pre-injury. Having something to work towards retained a sliver of motivation when I had given up otherwise.
That 5k turned into to me completing my 4th 5k this past October, I even jogged the entire way this time! This boosted my confidence just when I needed it and kept my smoldering fire going.
Also, a quick shout out to everyone that’s supported me in races. Whether cheering me on, sending encouraging messages, and in some cases running with me. I appreciate it much more than I show!
Continuing The Journey Into 2017
While my training was on and off, my nutrition never got back on track. With the start of 2017 I have started cooking for myself again. It’s less expensive, it’s MUCH healthier, and it gives me full control. There is no excuse not to do it.
So far it’s going well, I have so far dropped 7 lbs these first two weeks. Albeit, a lot of it is that initial water weight, but I’ll take what I can get. I can feel a difference in my body when I go to the gym, there’s a little more pep in my step.
Speaking of training, I’m matching the heaviest dumbbells I was using back in my peak, although my core has a little way to go to equate my top performance.
Cardio wise, however, I’m able to go at my quickest pace ever! Even though I’m 23 lbs heavier than I was last time I was running even close to what I’m doing now. So perhaps I gained back a little less fat than the numbers show and replaced some of that with muscle.
The Achilles pain is pretty much gone, as long as I stay diligent with my stretches. Now the point focus is on my hamstrings, which are very tight.
It’s something we touched on a little bit during physical therapy and is another thing I’ve unknowingly been dealing with my entire life. I’m already feeling more flexible, which is leading to much better form all around. Honestly, I’m just happy to be focusing on something else for a change.
Moving Forward
I guess the point of this post is more than taking a look back at my journey and bringing any new readers up to speed, but it’s also somewhat a new beginning. Check out this video from a YouTuber named BeardedFatLoss where he discusses failing during a weight loss journey.
On his journey of losing 145 lbs, he’s failed many times. The key is to not quit but own up to it and move on. So that’s what I’m doing right now, I’m owning up to my mental mistakes, taking pride in my accomplishments, and am moving forward.
This time, I have a lot more knowledge and skills. I don’t have denial of my situation and I have a good base of muscle and endurance. Mentality is something that will constantly be a struggle, but at least I’m armed with more tools this time around.
So here’s the new base picture for me, I used a tighter form fitting shirt for these progress pictures because it’s easier to see than with a baggy Illini or Bears shirt. So here goes, current weight 284.2 lbs, 17.4 pounds lighter than my highest point two years ago, but far from where I need to be.
Let’s see what 2017 brings!