The Fat Guy Project: My Weightloss Journey
June 29, 2019
I swear I didn’t see myself as super fat before until I started looking back at the pictures, like obviously I know I was fat but I didn’t think I was THAT fat, if that makes sense? OH MY GOD, 2018 has been my fattest year ever, reaching over 130 kg. I can’t even.
Those fat cheeks that covered my once glorious cheekbones, those double chin that goes on for days, that manboobs that swears he’s Madonna’s cone bra from the 90’s, and that tummy that won’t quit. I loved you all but it was time to say "bye felicia"
I started noticing some health problems, like a shooting pain in my left shoulder, which I was told is a sign of heart attack, my snoring got so much worst, I became a mouth breather and there are a few activities I can no longer do.
On a superficial level, I did it because, firstly my clothes no longer fit, I find it harder and harder to find 2XL clothes and a size 38 pants, also we were scheduled to go to Boracay (we already went, back in June, article on that soon) so I was hell bent on getting thinner since summer clothes don’t normally have sizes above XL and I want to look good in those summer pics.
For the past 3 years, I’ve always vowed to get a healthier bod but I’ve always had an excuse to postpone it, whether its an event where major feasting is required, a celebration with lots of alcohol or a stressful day at law school that deserves a lot of binge eating. Suffice to say I’ve accumulated a ton of excuses, it took me a while to understand that an excuse is just an excuse and it does not validate nor justify anything. Here, I’ll focus more on the major ones
Time and Stress
This is my major EXCUSE (heavy emphasis on the word ‘excuse’) I have law school, I have a job of some sorts, I have chores to do, responsibilities to cater to and 7 dogs to take care of. Life is tough for a whiny millennial such as myself.
Food is Good
Before this huge change in my blog, I was blogging food for good reasons, FOOD IS GOOD, scratch that UNHEALTHY FOOD IS GOOD, I love me some fatty fried stuff, some sweet confections and I love to experiment with food, I can finish a whole tray of discount sushi and a box of pizza at one sitting, not to mention food helps me de-stress.
Slightly Alcoholic
I love me some liquor and spirits and everything that contains alcohol. On a regular day I would sip on some inexpensive wine as I read ahead for my next law class, or drink cocktails when I’m bored. I mean how could I say no to a “healthy” amount of alcohol right?
Stuck on the Past
If you were a friend of mine back in 2013 you’d probably remember my quick 3 week (over term break) weight loss magic. I was sooo skinny back then, and I’ve always thought “I can easily do it again, I’ve done it once, I can do it again just as quick” HOWEVER what I did realise so late in my life is, I got thinner faster than the Avengers reverses the snap, is because I was suffering anorexia, and bulimia, I just played it off as a joke back then. You can’t choose, or force yourself to be anorexic because it is indeed a mental illness which I unknowingly had back in 2013.
Getting healthier is definitely, absolutely, 100% a lifestyle choice that requires major changes to your lifestyle. Some of the changes came very easily for me some were not.
Food
The toughest thing to give up. Although I’m a pollo-pescetarian, I still have a constant extreme tongue itching that only delicious food can satisfy, I love food, and I can’t imagine eating healthy food to be as enjoyable as all the junk I loved to consume.
My diet jumpstarted when my sister had galstones, forcing the whole family to eat more healthier, for sometime we only ate steamed food, mostly chicken or fish cuz pollo-pescetarian life is awesome. Until of course I get tired of the same bland food that was constantly served which sort of forced me to fall out of love with food.
Sometime after, I learned to cook healthier, and slowly regained my love for food, only now I love healthy food and even catered two parties with just healthy food.
Time Management
What I realised over time is that I actually have time to spare for a little daily exercise, I just didn’t think it was free time cuz I was doing something low key unnecessary.
LOOK, if you have time to scan social media, be updated on the latest films and netflix shows, play apps on your phone, and be present at every drink binge and outings, YOU DEFINITELY HAVE TIME TO SPARE, you’re just way too busy whining about stress that you fail to manage your time well.
Exercise
I’m a lazy fella this is hard for me to do, until I was introduced to the 21 day rule. This rule has been introduced to me by a friend of mine, Alex. She told me that if you do something daily for the next 21 days that it'll become a habit I tried working out for the next 21 days of the last week of March and first weeks of April, and now I find it hard to go for days without exercising, everytime I’m traveling I’m constantly anxious thinking "why am I not exercising?"
Simple Changes
I did a lot of simple changes to my daily life like taking the stairs and using the elevator only if needed, walk instead of using the car to go to the market or grocery story which is literally just 3 blocks away from home, and walk the dogs instead of just letting them out to poop at the garage. I did all these changes to be more active and less reliant on the ease of laziness.
Aside from the changes mentioned, I only have three problems with this lifestyle change;
Temptations All Around
It’s hard to go on a diet and constantly see a lot of tempting food pics online and on the streets which deep inside you know it only looks good because of major editing but you’re still betting it tastes good. One of the hardest thing for me to let go is Starbucks Coffee, so much so that I’ve had my first Starbucks drink of the year just this month.
Harder with Other People
When I’m out with friends it’s hard to stick with a diet without being buzzkill to everyone, both financially and mentally. Low key i’d get jealous and curious of what their dish taste like, and it would cost me more to dine with other people than to just eat by myself. While splitting the bill is much appreciated, it is socially frowned upon. Therefore the bill is almost always split by the total, which is kinda unfair when you just ordered Hakaw (210) and service water but you have to pay 500+ cuz your people loves to eat.
But I still have to give credit where credit is due, SOME, not all of my friends who are in my tight circle are very considerate when it comes to dining out, some of them would specifically choose a restaurant where there's something for me to eat, as a pollo-pescetarian, tryin' to get rid of my fat ass guy.
But I still have to give credit where credit is due, SOME, not all of my friends who are in my tight circle are very considerate when it comes to dining out, some of them would specifically choose a restaurant where there's something for me to eat, as a pollo-pescetarian, tryin' to get rid of my fat ass guy.
Traveling Changes Everything
I thought before I started traveling again that “I can still do some exercises” I was so wrong in so many ways, not only was I too tired to exercise, I had to choose between sleep and exercise, and almost always, sleep is what I needed. Like before going to Boracay I swore I was superman and claimed “I will wake up at 5 to go for a 1 hour jog and be ready in time for our scheduled activities” but in reality, we slept at 2am woke up at 8am just in time for us to go to our scheduled activities.
And throughout my travel, I'm constantly anxious of not being able to exercise, and keep eating and eating and eating.
And throughout my travel, I'm constantly anxious of not being able to exercise, and keep eating and eating and eating.
Weight
This wouldn’t be called a weightloss journey if I didn’t lose any, obvi. From 130kg (March) to 80kg (June), I lost 40 kg total, that’s 88 pounds, It’s like I lost an entire person out of me.
Clothing Size
Yes my friends, I am now, drumroll please, Medium in shirts and 32 in pants, which is awesome cuz my choices of clothing pieces have widen and I’m loving it.
It Feels Good
I can’t definitively explain what it is, but it just feels so good. I feel lighter, simple movements have become easier, I became more agile, I definitely look better, I feel more confident, I sleep much better and I don’t know it just feels good, I really can’t explain why, it just does.
I think it’s time for me to get some muscles, but don’t get crazy I’m not going after washboard abs or bodybuilder level bod, as that would defeat the purpose of why I slimmed down in the first place, to fit in clothes. I just want a little body definition so if I show a little skin it wouldn’t look like it’s just plain pasty skin underneath them clothes.
And I'm taking you all with me, I'll be sharing through articles everything I learned (with scientific backing of course), everything I did, and everything you might want to know, thus this Fat Guy Project series of articles.
And I'm taking you all with me, I'll be sharing through articles everything I learned (with scientific backing of course), everything I did, and everything you might want to know, thus this Fat Guy Project series of articles.
YOU CAN FOLLOW ME AND CONTACT ME AT MY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
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