Backstory
For as long as I can remember I’ve been obese. I’ve unapologetically loved food and beer for at least fifteen years to the point where I’ve needed it to make myself feel good. Being stuck at home for a night without a packet of chocolate biscuits or a tub of ice cream was unheard of.
So, why change?
For a start, I’m horribly unhealthy. Doctors have told me I’m in the high-risk category for diabetes, heart disease and cancer. I can’t climb two stories of stairs, walk up the hill near work, or maintain the same walking pace as many of my friends without getting short of breath. I’d love to be able to play sports at a level that wouldn’t completely embarrass me. Being able to run without feeling the entire front of my body bouncing around would be liberating. After years of shopping in big guys shops, being able to buy band t-shirts or clothes at regular stores would mean the world to me.
Finally, there’s also the vain reason that I look like crap. I hate seeing reflections of myself clothed, I cringe when I’m tagged in photos on Facebook and I loathe having to look in the bathroom mirror — much of the time I’ll avoid looking at myself at all.
I’ve lost weight once before. In 2005 I put myself on a weight loss regime. This consisted of reducing the amount of food I ate, cutting out beer altogether, not eating carbohydrates after 5:00 PM and visiting the gym at least three times a week. It was successful. Over five or so months I managed to lose over 30 kilos, bringing my weight down to 105 kilograms.
Unfortunately, I slipped back into my old habits and at the start of this story I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been.
So, that brings you to two and a half weeks before I started this blog. On the 11th of September 2010, after my girlfriend said it was time I did something about it, I made the decision to lose weight. I didn’t take my starting weight, but 150 or 149 kilograms is about right (after my first week of dieting and exercise I was 148kg).
I’m hoping that by writing about my experiences and goals I’ll be more likely to stick to them.
— September 28th, 2010
