The Weight Loss Has Begun

After my recent hospitalization, I was finally put on meds that allow me to function.  For 2 1/2 years I was on meds that robbed me of energy and motivation and left me feeling like a zombie.  Well, I didn't crave brains, but other than that, I felt like a zombie.  Now I I'm beginning to feel like a human again, and while I'm closing in on my 49th birthday, I have to start my life all over..  That's part of what this blog is about, my journey to recreate my life in a world where technology has changed all the industries I used to work in. 

One of my major issues right now is my weight.  The last time I saw my regular doctor, I weighed in at a horrific 347 pounds.  Dang.  There was actually an exclamation mark next to my weight in the doctor's report.  Seriously, it said, "Weight: !347."  Not a good sign.  So I started walking 3 to 4 miles a day a couple weeks ago.  So far, I've lost five pounds.  As heavy as I am, that's just a drop in the bucket.  But it's a start.  I've been trying to walk at least five days a week, but appointments, both mine and my mom's, have kept me from walking as much as I want.  In addition, afternoon thunderstorms here make walking late in the day hard.  But I've lost five pounds in a couple of weeks, so I need to keep at it.

At one point, after I stopped working as a taxi driver, I'd lost 130 pounds from my peak weight.  Then I started driving a taxi again in Winston-Salem (NC), and I gained 90 pounds back.  I eat to deal with stress, and boredom, when I drive a cab, and bulk up quick.  I lost that 130 pounds over about 2 1/2 years time by walking and drinking more water.  That's it.  I didn't change my eating habits hardly at all.  I didn't count calories.  I didn't cut out carbs.  Most importantly, I DIDN'T DIET.  Yes, healthier eating would've helped, but I couldn't really afford super healthy foods.  I was homeless much of that time.

So now that my head is feeling better, I'm starting that long, slow, process of weight loss again.  I've found that if I walk three to four miles nearly every day, I lose two to three pounds a week.  Sure, it's fun to lose weight quicker, but at my size, weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.  So I'm going to just keep plugging along as well as I can.