View Single Post
Old 03-03-14, 05:26 PM
  #1  
Mark Stone
Tractorlegs
 
Mark Stone's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: El Paso, TX
Posts: 3,185

Bikes: Schwinn Meridian Single-Speed Tricycle

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 119 Post(s)
Liked 60 Times in 42 Posts
Trac is Back: My Weight Loss Narrative

I was a regular contributor to CD&A for a couple of years, and with the help and expertise of friends here (and friends/family @ home) I reached my goal weight around 6 months ago. First, a before and after picture, then the short story:

Before, around 300 pounds, summer of 2011:



After, at around 225 (I'm 6'5") in September 2013:



My story: In the summer of 2011 I realized I was in bad shape. I could not walk up stairs, get out of chairs without help or pain, could not sleep for more than 5 minutes at a time because of apnea. I did not like the way I looked and felt.

1. In August 2011, sickened by what I had become, at the age of 59, I decided to go back to bicycling as a lifestyle. I went car-light, only using my cage once or twice a week. My commuting to work was done by riding my bike to the bus stop, locking her up there, and riding the rest of the way on the bus. At this time I joined bikeforums dot net and got to know a lot of the folks here in CD&A. We encouraged each other a lot and kept each other accountable. By December of that year, just with the commuting, I had already lost 20 pounds - down to 280. The combination of exercise and the minimal weight loss made me come to a realization about the middle of December: My apnea had disappeared!

2. By the middle of January 2012 I had gotten down to 275, and my wife and I decided to join Weight Watchers. During 2012, using my bike and the WW program, I lost an additional 35 pounds down to 240. Wow, folks, did I feel better!!!

3. In early 2013, Weight Watchers had worn out its welcome and I wanted to diversify a bit in exercise, so I went to straight calorie counting and started using walking as my primary form of exercise. It was an effective decision, and I lost that final 15 pounds steadily through the year and reached 225 in September. I am at that weight right now. Because I was cycling very little, I stopped posting here at bikeforums.

So, in around 2-1/2 years, I lost 75 pounds using a number of tactics. Right now I feel like a different person - mobile, strong, able to keep up with my grandkids, proud of the way I look. About 2 weeks ago I made the switch from walking back to bicycling, because cycling is in my blood and I missed the activity: Therefore here I am again back at bikeforums dot net. I'll probably be posting mostly in the Commuting forum, but I definitely will be looking in here from time to time.

To all the regulars in CD&A a hearty THANK YOU for your help in - well, saving my life, actually.

__________________
********************************
Trikeman
Mark Stone is offline