Big Loss Huge Gain by eclipse

Well here we go!

Firstly my dimensions

• 6.4" tall
• Weight at beginning of diet 406lb/184kg
• Chest 57"
• Waist 54"

I hit the big 40 last month and just before this started making some changes to my life, although I have never been a fitness monster I was fairly fit around my 20s but over the last 20yrs I have gone down hill fast, this could be associated to a number of things such as to much/wrong food, lack of exercise and over the last 7yrs worked in a office where I am sat behind a computer for 12hrs per day.

I will be the first to admit that it was my fast approaching 40th that made me sit back and think about myself but there was also a number of other things that pushed me to take probably one of my personal biggest challenges of my life, I started looking at photos of me looking just discusting even though every one said "don't worry your a big guy you can carry it" they even got me believing this, this was until my knees started hurting and I used all my strength just trying to get off the couch, I walked up my stairs and had to sit down because I was out of breath, I could not sleep because my weight caused dead spots on my body and I had to role over, this caused me to wake as I could not roll in my sleep.

I heard so many stories from people that had tried the miracle liquid diets so thought I would give this a try, my friend recommended Lipo Trim (the liquid not the tablet), I looked in to this and it just seemed so much grief with having to go to a chemist every week and get the mixers and get measured, it would also cost around £45 per week, I thought I could get around this by just using slim fast milk shakes instead, this was horrible because I was just starving myself and not actually knowing what it was doing to me, after a couple of months I did lose a couple of stone but then it stopped, I started to investigate nutrition and realised that my body had just adjusted itself to my eating habits, I kicked the liquid diet and from advice of people on Real Buzz I started eating again but watching what I ate.

I took up walking at work during my lunch break, this is not the easiest of tasks as I wear a suit and my office does not have any changing facilities, I started off with a 15 minute walk per day taking Saturdays and Sundays off, I then moved up every week to 20,30,40,50 and now 60 minutes, from what I can work out this is about 2.5 - 3 miles, this may seem a minor task to most especially people who have always been fit but to give you an idea, if you weigh 112lb/57.5kg and then go for a walk carrying some one who weighs 140lb/63.5kg on your shoulders and walk at the hardest pace you can, also whilst doing this imagine doing this with a belt wrapped tightly around your chest restricting you breathing to only the lower half of your lungs, with muscles that can normally only just lift you off the couch, this may then give you some sort of idea of the pain I go through whilst I train.

I am now 6 weeks in and have been working on my core muscles but have a very long way to go with these, I am using a Swiss ball and doing floor exercises, I am down to 373.8lb/169.54kg, this is still very high but it is a start, I am a lot fitter than I was when I started, I have just signed up with a personal trainer and he is getting me to see a Physio and a nutritionist, this is my next big move and will update as I progress, going to a specialist trainer shop on Monday to get some new trainers that are right for me.

My long term goal is to do the 2010 marathon (in a good time)

Short term I would like to start by doing the Bushy Park Time Trial 5k

http://www.parkrun.com/bptt_home.aspx

Thanks for reading and hope you continue.