A Fat Boy No More

My Story and The Plan

Hi, my name is J Brian (group responds HI J BRIAN). I am FAT. I have been for most of my adult life.

I will be A Fat Boy No More.

Three years ago I started a journey to become A Fat Boy No More. And since September 2007 I have been publishing my success and failures. This Blog follows me from the day I first started my weight loss journey and it focuses on the everyday struggles that people with weight problems have.

Prepare yourself for a very real and very challenging event in my life. I commit to being as honest and as clear as I can be in the webpage to chronicle my ongoing battle with my weight. The pictures can be explicit.

After 12 years of being bigger than I should be... ok lets just be honest. I was not big I was fat. I have been over weight and muscular for most of my adult life. But the muscular part has been over shadowed by a large layer of fat on my body. I've eaten too much and I lived a sedentary life. In December 2006 I weighed 320 pounds. The morning I weighed myself and saw that I was over 300 pounds I essentially went into a deep depression that day and I am sure that I ate another 5 pounds worth of food. But that night I decided that enough was enough. My weight problem had become more than just an appearance problem it became a health problem, a self esteem problem and it was starting to affect my business and income. I had to do something. And I had to be held accountable. Technology is a good thing. I decided I had to put it out there. I started texting everyone in cell phone saying "Officially a fat ass now I weigh 300". I had been lying forever and telling people that I was 250. And no one questioned it.

The first step I took was to hit the gym and cut my calories. I looked on webmd and found out how many calories there where in a pound (3500) and decided to create this formula to determine how many calories and how much extra exercise I had to do to lose 60 pounds by May 27th. My annual trip to Key West Florida. By February I had lost 25 pounds. On a plan that was essentially the same thing that Weight Watchers teaches you. Then life hit me. After being so good I just got tired of it. I had no real support structure. And so I just relapsed because I was on a diet. Not a life change. But between March and August I essentially maintained my weight loss. In April I got a part time job working in a restaurant as a bartender. Everyone thinks I was crazy to do that but the truth is I just needed something to make me active. I needed to get off my lazy fat ass and be active. I gave up sweet tea and I stopped eating beef for the most part. I chose bison. Which taste so similar and has a familiar texture but had half the calories. Nothing else really changed.

But I did not lose the weight I wanted. When I was in Key West I looked like a beached whale and I felt horrible. I have a picture from that trip that show the folds of fat on my back. I was so depressed after that trip. So I essentially just maintained until late July when my best friend Michelle told me that a guy we both worked with a few years back had lost a lot of weight thru some medical weight loss plan.

I kinda brushed it off. I was looking into Lap Band or some other surgery. Then another friend of mine saw Brad as well and said Brad has lost a lot of weight. So I called Brad and he told me about the plan thru Emory Hospital. I went to an info session on the plan and decided to enroll.

Before you consider any type of surgery please look into medically managed weight loss. IT WORKS. Your doctor or the Bariatrics department of your local university hospital can direct you. Too many of my friends had surgery and lost a lot of weight and regained it. Even with a smaller stomach you can eat ice cream all the time and gain it back. I have a friend that just did that.

So this is what I did initially. Follow my blog posts from the beginning and see the transformation.

25 June 2008

Week 8 of C25K Training

I have been a bad blogger again. I have completed 7 weeks of my c25k training and I have completed day 1 of week 8. 7 weeks ago I was running a minute and a half at a time. Today I am running 28 minutes at a time.

My legs are getting huge and my body fat is falling away. I made a big mistake and shaved off my goatee. One of the girls I work with told me i look cherubic (like cupid) I would post picts of me but there is no way in hell I am going to post the 12 year old cupid boy that I look like.

I have had some great success since I joined the weight watchers core plan. I get plenty of protein and I have lost at least 5 pounds in three weeks. Saturday is my next weigh in and I expect to have lost a few pounds more.

Hope all is well

08 June 2008

Run Fat Boy Run Pt 2

Well this was my first weigh in day after being in weight watchers. I am not expecting to lose a bunch of weight but I need some support and Help with my life long weight management plan. My group leader Melanie is Great.

After a few weeks of some slight increases in diet I lost 4.2 pounds in one week. This rate of loss is not expected to happen long term but it was a good kickstart. I DO not like the scales at WW because I think they are off a little. My scale at home was perfectly set with the scales at Emory. But I am going to adjust my weight to the WW scales for consistency. My beginning WW weight on May 30 was 240.4. My weigh in today was 236.2 a loss of 4.2 pounds regardless of the actual figure a 4.2 pound loss in one week is too good to be true.

Also today was my completion of my longest run yet. I ran for 20 mins without a break. For my friends who are runners that is not a lot but for us couch potatoes. Thats HUGE BABY. Check back in a few days.

06 June 2008

LOTS TO REPORT

Since my last post I went on my annual trip to Key West Florida. That was one of the best trips I have ever had. And the best thing is my fat ass could not fit into an airplane seat comfortably. Its such an incredible difference.

I met some new friends there and became re acquainted with some folks I have met before. I gained 0 (zero) pounds while I was on the island. I never over ate. I did drink a little more than I should have. The good thing about Key West is you walk everywhere so problem with drinking. I also ran everyday that I was on vacation except the day I traveled down. The day I got back before I went home I went to the gym.

I am in the middle of week 5 of my c25k training and that should be completed tomorrow. Its getting harder but I am able to tackle it better than I thought.

Last saturday I joined Weight Watchers as I feel that I need ongoing support with weight management. I do not feel that the plan at Emory has provided as much in the maintenance portion as I have in the past and there is no accountablility with their ongoing support. I decided to follow the Core Plan . I will give updates on this as I go along.

I put on a few pounds in the weeks leading up to my vacation. 7 to be exact. So I was around 239. I have reduced that to 234 this week.

Check back for updatest and thanks for your support.

20 May 2008

May 20 Training for the 5k continues

I have now completed day two of week three of my c25k training.

Some training sessions are fairly easy and others are not. Today was one of those harder days for some reason. I am two days away from my key west trip and i finally feel that i will have a half way decent "pool body" There will be some jiggle but there will not be any beach whale thoughts.

Hope all is well.

14 May 2008

5 Training Sessions Complete

Tomorrow is my sixth training session. My body is sore as hell. Seriously sore. Also this training has made me very very hungry. I have to figure out how to deal with it. I have one week left til my trip to Key West... YAHOO!!!

09 May 2008

Run Fat Boy Run- Part 1

I completed my first week of training for the 5 k. I will direct you to the two websites that helped me with this weeks training.

c25k.com and www.ullreys.com/robert/Podcasts/page4/files/category-7.html

The first link tells you about the plan but the podcast that you use while you are actually running is great. Robert's idea for the podcast coach is awesome. I was sweating more than I ever do with my normal workouts.

I completed the first week and now I am getting ready to start on week two. This past week I did the program on Monday Wednesday and Friday but this next week I am changing my days to Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Wednesdays are very difficult from a schedule standpoint for me.

I feel like I did a really bad job of eating yesterday. I just grazed like cattle all day long. With two weeks left to my vacation I am not happy with this. So I am going to have to be extra diligent.

Hope all is well.

Optifast and how it worked for me

This is what I did in the Beginning

Phase 1- 14 weeks or 98 days NO FOOD This is s liquid only stage using products from Optifast. I drink 5 shakes or soups a day for 98 days. Started Sept 21, 2007 ended December 28, 2007. Food was not an option. I admit I do eat dill pickles. There are no calories in dill pickles and I really want the crunch.

Phase 2- 7 Weeks or 49 Days Reintroduction of food. Gradually ending my use of the shakes and soups and adding back the right kinds of food.

Phase 3 6 months- Ongoing support classes. This can and likely will be extended ongoing program.

Tips for a Better Life

1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Sleep for 7 hours.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Play more games.
6. Read more books than you did the previous year.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink plenty of water.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
14. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
15. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
16. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
17. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
18. Smile and laugh more.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don't compare your partner with others.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Forgive everyone for everything.
26. What other people think of you is none of your business.
27. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
28. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
29. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
30. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
31. The best is yet to come.
32. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
33. Do the right thing!
34. Call your family and friends often.
35. Your inner most is always happy. So be happy.
36. Each day give something good to others.
37. Don't over do. Keep your limits.

Activity and Workout Philosphy

To maintain any weight loss you must become more active. There is NO option to this very basic idea. What you do is pretty much up to you and the level at which you do it is also up to you and your specific goals. I want to be extremely muscular, where another person may prefer to be trim and lean and carry little mass.

Below I share with you my lifting routines. I would not expect anyone to do this much. It is extreme but it suits my needs specifically. And finally I will share with you a few of my suggestions for increasing activity the easy way.

I run/walk approximately 2 miles 5 to 6 days a week.

A Fat Boy No More

My Story and The Plan

Remember

25 June 2008

Week 8 of C25K Training

08 June 2008

Run Fat Boy Run Pt 2

06 June 2008

LOTS TO REPORT

20 May 2008

May 20 Training for the 5k continues

14 May 2008

5 Training Sessions Complete

09 May 2008

Run Fat Boy Run- Part 1

March 2010

December 2008

Pool Time

My Lightest

Fat is Sexy Day 1

Results Tracker

Fat Boy one year later

Fat Boy Day 1

My heaviest (marshmellow man)

the casual professional fat boy

the professional fat boy

Important LINKS

Blog Archive

About Me

Optifast and how it worked for me

And I thought I was not fat

Tips for a Better Life

Saint Patrick's Day At Fado

Activity and Workout Philosphy

My Favorite Passtime

Basic Workout Routine. Lower Body, Biceps and Back

Basic Workout Routine. Upper Body

Body shot

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Fat boy about to Ride

Biggun

Beached Whale

Beached Whale Part 2

In the beginning

There was Fat