How Life Changes After Losing 30 Pounds

My watch is scuffed up on the face and it bugs me.  I was looking at it and wondering why it was so scratched, my other watches never seemed to do me this way.  Was it a bad resin mix when they made the face, or is it glass and didn’t get the protective coating that each watch gets before leaving the factory in Taiwan?  Did the machine give out that day, or the worker just had a bad morning and decided to take it out on the American consumer?  Something’s got to give, this was a birthday gift for God’s sake – it shouldn’t already be showing its age.  This is a higher end watch than the past ones… this really isn’t fair.

As I’m typing away the other day I keep hearing a clunk and a bonk… if that makes sense.  Tap tap, clunk bonk, tap tap… refrain, rinse and repeat.  You know the routine.  I look over and notice my watch is banging my desk like a Governor at a whore house and it hits me. 

My watch is scratched because I am skinnier.  This creates a big shit eatin’ grin on my face (sorry, that’s Texas for happy go lucky).  Not that I am happy about scratching my watch all to hell, but I am happy with my new problems and what I have learned since losing 30 pounds.

I have been a fat kid since birth.  I am not sure how a child get’s a beer belly, but I had one.  I am sure it made my Dad proud to see his boy with that pushed out belly walking around trying to act like him.  He wasn’t fat though, and as the years grew on I was.  High school was different, because I swam – so fat wasn’t even an option.  Afterwards though, it was a whole other story. 

At some point I hit rock bottom and decided I needed to get my crap together and start living life a bit healthier.  Since I have lost 30 lbs. and lots of things have changed.  I know not everyone needs to lose as much as I have, but 30 pounds isn’t all that much to some of us.  However, in terms of day to day activities… it does make a difference.  I hope to share what losing 30 pounds has done for me, in hopes that you will be inspired to do the same.

Sleep Doesn’t Hurt Anymore

I know it sounds crazy, but when I was at my fattest – sleeping was a pain in my ass.  Actually a pain in my back.  I seldom slept through the night, suffering from sleep apnea I’m sure – I woke up even more tired after a night’s “sleep”.  30 pounds really does a number on your back if you didn’t know.  Carrying around that weight all day would make you think that laying down would be a blessing, it never was for me.  I am sure the eating nonsense 30 minutes before bed didn’t help either… it seemed to keep me up later.  Couple that with the pain of laying for 8 hours and at the crack of dawn this fat kid was usually up and ready to no longer being laying.

Since losing the weight, I get to be earlier and even sleep later than normal at times.  My wife can vouch for the fact that it has made a difference in the bedroom… wait, NOT LIKE THAT!  She had to endure my fatass getting up every 2 hours or being in pain all night long.  Snoring like a fatman, because I was a fat man.  I am sure she is the happiest about it all.

I Can Tie My Shoes Without Losing My Breath

This is where your body slaps you in the mouth and says… “DUDE… your fat.”  If you cannot bend over and tie your shoes without huffing and puffing… you guessed it.  Fat.  Even though the shoe thing is a HUGE sign that you are not in a good place weight-wise, obviously there are other things that you can’t do without breaking out in a sweat.

Since high school I can count the number of times I have ran, swam or anything else for that matter on one hand.  Sad, but true.  You just don’t do those things unless forced to, or at least I didn’t.  If someone was running after me with a shotgun or knife… I probably would have died from a heart attack long before a flesh wound.  If that wasn’t the case, you probably would not have seen my fatass running around.  It is the truth. 

These days, I try to get on the treadmill when I can.  Manual labor isn’t as big of a deal these days either.  Prior to the 30 pound weight loss, it was a big deal.  If I had to mow the lawn or work outside for more than 10 minutes… I was sweating and hating life before long.  This is a thing of the past now; I can play with the dogs or work outside in the yard all day without having too many problems.  Like I said, I still have some weight to lose, so I am not in shape just yet.  Maybe a round shape. 😉

Clothes Are Not An Issue Anymore

I was the fat guy pulling my shirt down every 5 minutes to hide my belly and keep it from snuggling up in my fat rolls.  A constant battle that led to eventually buying new clothes that eventually led to the same thing.  What a vicious cycle. 

**shakes head** 

My pants were constantly bought to be baggy… who would be looking at my butt anyhow?!?  Comfort was the main ingredient in this cocktail I called fashion (or lack there-of) – in fact it was the only ingredient. 

These days I have finally bought clothes that fit in more than the pockets, I am not tugging at my shirts and pulling up my pants – something that become more of a habit than anything.  Shirts fit, besides my super torso (if you know me, you know what I am talking about).  Pants are getting tighter & tighter – which I have found to be better than the baggy, saggy stuff I had before.  Fashion?  Me?  Hardly, but I have to say it isn’t all about comfort anymore.  I can wear things with confidence.

All The Numbers Are Going Down

I went to the Dr. for an ear ache last November and he started telling me about how high my blood pressure was and how I was going to die.  DUDE!  I just want my ear to be better.  Give me some ear drops already.  After leaving it really hit me that I was fat and needed to change before I did find myself in the morgue.  High blood pressure, high cholesterol , obese was the term used – even though I didn’t ever consider myself that fat.  My body mass index was massive… all the numbers pointed to death.

After changing my life to be more healthy, my blood pressure is way down.  I’m sure cholesterol and my body mass index is going down rapidly.  Guess those bowls of cheerios were doing the trick after all. 😉  The bottom-line is when you set your mind to losing weight you need to look around at the other numbers as well.  Sometimes all it takes is a small change in diet to see big changes in the numbers.

Overall Better Attitude & Higher Motivation

When you are struggling with weight, it seems like you tend to struggle with your attitude & motivation level as well.  When you are unhappy with yourself due to food and weight – it overflows into your daily doings.  You get irritible doing normal things that you shouldn’t be getting frustrated about.  If you even get up off the couch, it is to grab something to eat and doing things like chores or work seems like SOOOO much work.

Since losing the weight I have my motivation level across the board has skyrocketed.  I know it sounds cheesy, but it is true.  I have been looking at other things in my life that need fixing as well.  House work is getting done that used to pile up.  Recycling doesn’t seem like that big of a chore, don’t ask me why.  Lots of changes in terms of relationships, things I left behind when I got fat and didn’t care to work at fixing. My attitude at work and at home has been much more positive.  This change has been the biggest plus since losing the weight. 

I have to say that lots of things have changed both physically and emotionally since losing 30 pounds.  The baggage I have pulled around for years has finally be clipped off and I can see the me that I once was.  I hope that as I lose more and work harder I see more and more positive effects of losing this weight.  I urge you to hop on board and give it a shot.  If you are having a hard time, reach out and pull on those that can help you.  I will help as much as I can via the internet, but sometimes you just need someone local to slap you in the chops and say… YOUR FAT FATTY!