Above is a graph that I’m both extremely proud and a little ashamed of—my weight over the past two years. This past week I finally hit my weight and body fat goals, so I thought I’d take a second to reflect.
Near the beginning of grad school I decided that I was tired of being scrawny. An obsession with being rail-thin left me at 175lbs (which for my frame is pretty gaunt), and more than a few friends had expressed concerns over my health. So I got off the ellipticals and under a barbell, where intense daily workouts and a calorie-heavy balanced macronutrient diet yielded about 35 pounds of muscle. I felt and looked great, but the stress of my masters program was really starting to get to me. My workouts became too laxed to sustain the bulky diet, and at some point I just… gave up. Looking back I’m not sure how that happened. Maybe it was the loneliness of staying in college while all of your friends move on; maybe it was collateral damage from some tough family situations at home; maybe it was just mental rebellion over years of discipline. Whatever the cause it became clear things went too far when I stepped on the scale in Christmas of ‘07: 296lbs. We’ve all had sobering moments on the scale, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget that one.
As soon as I got home to NC I began my trek back to health. In lieu of fad diets I decided to eat well and work hard, and although that sounds great it can be excruciating to only lose a few pounds a month. Fortunately the place I work at has staff nutritionists and trainers, and they helped me stay focused, informed, and challenged. There were plenty of setbacks and plateaus to fight through, but after two years I’m where I want to be: an athletic 215lbs and ~14% body fat. I’m not vain enough to post a “hey look at my muscles” after pic, but rest assured 81lbs is a world of difference.
If I were to offer any words of advice it’d be to focus on eating healthy. Eating healthy isn’t deprivation—it’s simply being accountable for your choices and making better ones when possible. This usually entails budgeting for special meals or indulgences, but really that’s something we should all do whether we’re trying to lose or not. I’ve been eating this way for a while and it doesn’t feel like a diet at all. You also have to be patient. There are plenty of gimmicks out there, but your body will fight for homeostasis and the only way to keep it off is to go slow. This might mean your future holds 5-8 hours of exercise a week for months or even years, but it’s worth it in the end.
