How I lost 80 Pounds

Most of us know that to lose weight you follow a simple formula—eat less, exercise more. But for me, following that formula proved elusive for years. Now I’m doing it. I have no idea how this happened. Sure, I stopped eating sugar and wheat, and I started walking and that’s how I lost 80 pounds over the last seven months, but I’m somewhat baffled about how and why I’ve been able to change my eating habits this time.

I’ve been trying to change my food choices for years. I’ve recognized my problem with sugar for at least 29 years, and I’ve tried many, many, times to get it under control. I tried Weight Watchers. I tried Overeaters Anonymous. I’d do well for a few days, or maybe even a few weeks, but then I’d be tempted by something sweet, I’d succumb and then the cravings would kick in and I’d be compelled to keep eating massive amounts of sugar.

While I never reached the level of compulsive overeating you might see on “My 600 Pound Life,” I did go way overboard, especially with sugar and wheat: In addition to hearty meals, I’d deep-throat three glazed stick donuts for a mid-morning snack, a row of Oreos with a glass of milk in the afternoon, and a pint of Phish Food at night. That was pretty typical day after day, week after week, and year after year. It’s a wonder I only topped off at 284 pounds.

Every morning I’d feel like crap, physically and mentally, and promise myself I’d start eating healthy today. Then, later in the morning, as if I had no memory of promising myself a new start, I’d eat sugar and the compulsion for more would kick in. But, in the problem laid the answer—this time I’ve succeeded because my main strategy is to completely cut out added-sugar and wheat from my diet. I’m addicted to these two substances, they create cravings for more in my brain, and once I start I can’t stop. If I don’t start, the compulsion does not kick in. Pretty clear-cut really—the only donut I need to avoid is the first one.

The mystery is how and why I’m able to do this now, after sincerely trying for so many years. I think there are a few factors that contributed to my new-found resolve: the death of a friend, my son becoming an firefighter, my daughter expressing concern about my health, feeling embarrassed at a reunion, and falling on the stairs and injuring my shoulder.

My friend died last June from heart failure. He was younger than me, had a family that loved him like me, had a great career. I was shocked at his death, and very affected by the pain and grief I saw his family experience. The death really got me thinking about my own mortality. I remember resolving to change at the funeral service, but at the reception afterwards I had some cookies and I went back to the cookie table several times. Nonetheless, the experience impacted me for the next several months.

I saw the family of the deceased a few times over the summer. My wife and daughter are close to them, and I delivered meals that they’d prepared. My wife told me that my daughter had expressed concerns about my weight and my health. My daughter has me wrapped around her little finger. Anything she does usually gives me pride and joy. But, bringing up my weight made me angry and defensive. I did know inside, though, that she was right to be concerned.

My son graduated from Firefighter One training early last year and he became very active in our local fire department. Last spring he responded to an apartment fire early one morning. He was on the initial attack team that went into the apartment and he and another firefighter found a deceased person inside. I am also a firefighter, but I did not respond to that fire. I didn’t respond mostly because I was so out of shape that I thought I’d create an additional risk if I over did it, and I usually work hard at fires. I got a message from a lieutenant that my son had experienced this trauma, so I went to the scene to make sure he was OK. He was, but I felt like crap that I wasn’t there with him. I have the opportunity to continue to set a good example for my son, but I can’t do that if I can’t do the work.

There was an informal daylong reunion picnic over the summer and I saw many people from my high school years. I felt very uncomfortable at the event. I doubt anyone else gave a thought to how heavy I’d become, but it weighed on me. I thought I’d sit at a picnic table to hide my lower half, but then my stomach really hung over my belt. So I stood, and my feet hurt, making me more miserable. It was a really tough day.

The organizer of the reunion hired a professional photographer for the event and she did a great job of capturing everyone from many angles. When I saw my gut, my butt, my face in the photos I was horrified.

On Labor Day, in the spirit of back-to-school, I was determined to start a new healthier lifestyle. We’d been on vacation where I’d really hit the sugar hard. There’s an ice cream stand a couple hundred yards from our campsite and they pile the soft vanilla at least a foot high on the cone. I hit the stand every night. We came home Sunday evening. I’d hit my new high on the scale on Labor Day morning. About mid-day I went upstairs to put on my shorts and sneakers. I was going to walk for an hour. I changed and started downstairs. A piece of paper on the top step caused me to slip and my legs went down the stairs and I tried to catch myself on the wall, but I ended up landing on my shoulder, really hard. The pain was incredible. I was conscious, but immobilized for about a minute. All my energy was sucked into my injured shoulder. My wife and son came to my aid, but I lay there in pain for several minutes. I asked for Advil and ice. They set me up.

I was extremely distraught. Here I was trying to make a positive change and instead ended up hurting myself. I believed that I’d sabotaged myself. I know there are different parts of myself. One yearns to be healthy, to do what it takes to be fit. The other just wants to be comfortable, eat what I want, sit in my recliner and watch TV, be lazy. On this day, the lazy part won. I was in my recliner with two big bags of ice on my shoulder, feeling terrible. I beat myself up for gaining so much weight and for the self-sabotage. I hurt more mentally than physically in that moment. After 20 minutes on ice, there was only one thing to do—eat sweets.

That was a Monday; I ate poorly on Tuesday and Wednesday too. On Tuesday I went to my primary care doctor about my shoulder, and on her reference on Wednesday I saw an orthopedic specialist. All these doctor visits got me thinking about my health. I thought about my friend who died. I thought about my daughter’s concern. I felt that had I not been so heavy I might not have fallen, or I might have been able to catch myself from falling, or I may not have landed so hard and injured myself. I thought about my son fighting fires, and me not wanting to give that up. A bevy of bummers combined into determination to change. On Thursday, September 7, 2017 I started, and I have not eaten wheat or added-sugar since.

That is the key for me: Not eating wheat or sugar allows me to eat moderate amounts of food. Foods without wheat and added sugar do not create cravings for more, so I can eat healthy amounts and stop when I’m full.

I started walking too. I started at a moderate pace, about 20 minutes per mile, on relatively level ground. I’d walk to the high school and walk the track, or to a park about a mile away and walk around the loop. I’d walk for an hour six days a week. After a month of this I started to add hills to my walks. This freed me to expand my choices and I could get in more scenery. I’d get down to the Hudson River in Ossining or Scarborough, and that made the walking really enjoyable. One of my favorite walks is to park my car at Gerlach Park and walk the Croton Aqueduct up to the Dam. I have the advantage of loving music, so I put on a Grateful Dead, Phish or moe concert and move to the beat and that increases my joy.

By December, I was lighter and stronger and I started adding jogging into my walks. At first I’d walk nine minutes and then jog for one minute, for an hour. Then, each month I’d add another minute of jogging 8/2, 7/3, etc. Now I’m at 5/5. I also go to the gym and use the elliptical machine some days to reduce the impact factor on my legs. I exercise 6 days a week.

No wheat and no added-sugar meant a dramatic change in the foods I eat. I gave up bread, and brought in nuts. I stopped eating cold cereal, and started eating yogurt or eggs or oatmeal. I no longer eat pasta, but instead eat vegetables. Typical desserts are out, but fresh and dried fruits are in. My new favorite store is Trader Joe’s, where they have great nuts and dried fruit.

A typical breakfast today is a cup of yogurt with a half-cup of blueberries mixed in, a banana, five prunes and coffee. Or, a half-cup (dry) of oatmeal with a quarter cup of raisins and a quarter cup of slivered almonds mixed in, a banana, five prunes and coffee.

Lunch can be deli sliced turkey wrapped in Swiss cheese, a half-cup of walnuts, four figs and an orange. Or, a salad with grilled chicken and fruit salad.

Dinner is anything without wheat or sugar. This week I ate beef stew, veal Parmesan, shrimp tacos, and chili, with sides of vegetables.

I even eat snacks. Favorites include a half-cup of cashews with a quarter cup of raisins mixed in, or three slices of horseradish cheddar cheese and an apple or peach.

I’ve experienced wonderful benefits from this new lifestyle. After just 10 days I noticed that I could breath through both nostrils at the same time, for the first time in my life. I think this is the result of cutting wheat out of my diet, reducing inflammation of my sinuses. I’ve had asthma my whole life, gone. My wife tells me I no longer snore. My knees and feet feel so much better.

I was experiencing debilitating depression at times, that’s gone. I am doing more around the house, improving my relationship with my wife. I’m even writing again.

Now people are asking me what my goal is. I think they mean what weight do I want to get to. I don’t have a weight goal. My only goal is to not eat wheat or added-sugar today.