In January 2007, my friends and I were making resolutions. Mine was to lose a few pounds—no big deal. I’d always been chubby but thought I “carried it well.” I didn’t know how wrong I was: when I stepped on the scale, it read 242 pounds. I was heavier than some football players! The next day, I hit the gym. I managed to find a treadmill behind a pole, so nobody could see me work out. To avoid feeling self-conscious, I started going to the gym at odd hours (like 3 a.m.!) and tried different routines like Spinning, weight lifting, yoga, and cycling. And I used a Polar heart-rate monitor to push myself to burn more calories.
Dieting was a real challenge. As an information-technology consultant, I'm constantly traveling (more than 200 nights a year), and I relied on fast food and chocolate cake to comfort me after long days. Since my job makes eating out inevitable, I needed to make better choices. I started asking for meats grilled, without sauce or cheese, and salad dressing on the side. I also kept healthy snacks like Larabars in my carry-on and tracked my calorie count (1,500 per day) online, so I wouldn’t overindulge or deprive myself.
After 11 months, I lost 72 pounds. I’m now thinner and healthier than I was in high school!
From size 20 to slim timeline
242 lbs: January 2007-Went to the
gym for the first time in forever.
220 lbs: April 2007-Using a heart-rate monitor for motivation works.
190 lbs: July 2007-Dropped more than 50 lbs—the weight of my dog, Bailey.
175 lbs: October 2007-Completed my first triathlon. What a rush!
170 lbs: Now–I've kept it off for two-and-a-half years!
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