Reporting in. I had my official PT test today. Weighed in at 169, 35 inch waist. (10 months ago in January, I was at 189 and 37.5).

I then proceeded to rock the test with the highest score I've ever got, a 97.70 (out of 100). I ran the best 1.5 mile run since I was probably 20 years old with an 11:12. (If not for the recent allergies exploding in Georgia with my lungs nearly wheezing lately and my old knee flaring up the last few weeks, I would have been able to do a much better run prep and trim that time down a lot more).

Since I scored over 90, I get to go a year until I'm due again... But I retire from Active Duty next September, so THIS WAS IT! My last PT test!!!! (Had I scored under 90, I would have had one more test in 6 months).

So, I celebrated with some of my birthday cake from yesterday (I turned 43). I savored the cake, and promptly said, well, back to the diet. I'm not going back to my old ways. I love being slimmer, feeling better, and having energy. Besides, I have to live long enough to be a pain in the arse to my grandkids with all my old stories to bore them

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"... shall not be infringed."

On article I read in one of the "muscle" magazines said that instead of denying yourself some foods, ration them. If you have ice cream and cake once a month it becomes something special to look forward too and you will savor it more.

Just what WW preaches ... moderation , not a diet, but portion control and better choices.
Depriving during a diet is one of the main reasons people fall off the wagon and yo-yo diet.

That's awesome!!!!

Trust me, I'm not depriving myself at all. In fact, I eat more than I did before my diet. I just eat the "right" things in small portions all day long. I'm following my dietitian's and my doctor's advice exactly. I cut my sugar intake way down, thus the reason I don't eat cake, cookies, etc. unless it's a special occasion. I do allow myself a sensible portion at those times.

I'm not hungry, I feel great, and I'm definitely not deprived and yo-yo'ing. I learned that skipping breakfast and lunch, then eating what I thought was a reasonable dinner is no way to go through life. It caused me to gain weight to the point that I was ready to buy some size 40 jeans. That's when I talked to the dietitian and got an education.

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"... shall not be infringed."

yup. I now eat breakfast every day.... Seems the more fiber in what I eat, the more satisfied I feel and the longer is sticks to my ribs....

I went from a 50 size jeans down to 36.

I came from a family where we ate a hearty breakfast and as a bicyclist
I KNOW breakfast is THE most important meal of the day. I like to have what I call a "bellybuster".
I might have mention that when I go for a walk I like to have a backpack for added resistance to burn off a few more calories. Several runners have told me they use weight belts and weight vests, you can adjust the weight as needed, again, adds resistance. Also there are ankle weights, same idea.

A little update.
In the past few months my job assignments have altered, and I was back to flying constantly... living out of a suitcase,, eating whatever I could grab fast.
And of course, the weight came hurtling back.
I got back up to a little over 290.
MAN the weight comes back with a vengeance.
However Caryn and I moved to Pa a couple of months ago so I would have a somewhat local area to work and have more home time.
In those 2 months I have started shedding the weight again, this morning it was back to 273.
With more home cooked meals I have no doubts I will be back to 260, and possibly lower.

Remember... Its not how many times you fall, its how many times you get back up.

Here is me and a buddy last night in Times Square.



Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

Looking good...keep it up...btw, you don't look at all like tourists...

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

great job! im 6'4" and 260# i realy need to loose a few i too have high blood pressure my knees are taking a beating i lost abot 60# a few years ago and fealt great, but got lazy and put it back on.

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WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

I had just gotten off work, and drove over to meet him.
This is what I look like pretty much every day.


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

Jim,
You are looking great! Keep up the great work....
I too took some pounds of last summer & fall....put a fair amount back on...
Got back at it and I've dropped about 20....more to shed. I gotta be ready for Colorado in September!! Blackpowder Elk Hunt!

Good luck buddy!

Bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

BP elk hunt... OH how I envy you...


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

I'm 62, 5'10" and ballooned up to 238 lbs. I went on a motorcycle trip in March with my best friend. He took pictures of me while we were riding and it looked like I had picked up my stomach and laid it over the gas tank!

A couple of weeks later, I was putting on my 38 waist pants and I had to lay on the bed and pull with all my might to get them buttoned.

Right there I said; "enough is enough!"

My wife and I went on the Atkins diet, (low carbs and no sugar), in April. Since then I've lost 24 lbs. and my 38 pants button up easily.

I've done this without exercise as I'm not a exercise sort of guy and you couldn't get me into a gym if you held a gun to my head!

I am going to start walking but I have been thrilled with my loss so far. The Atkins diet is easy for me and though I do miss bread, potatoes and rice, I'm going to stick with it the rest of my life.

Oh yeah, good for all you others who have lost weight!

Evil One, You have my admiration and envy. Being a person of size along with diabetes type 2, high blood pressure and cholestrol, I can relate. With a house full of exercise equipment, I still make excuses not to use the stuff.

Keep the numbers going in the right direction.

Congratulations to all. I'm spending more time NOT eating Junk.

That deserves a reward! Go buy yourself a new to you S&W or some other brand you want. Then a year from now, if the weight is still off, buy another one. Do this every year as long as you don't revert to old habits and gain weight.

I quit smokin again last Sept. first and looked at the money I had saved already in just 10 months. Went a bought myself another .222 Remington caliber bolt action rifle! My favorite rifle caliber. Next Sept. I'm gonna get another 44 Special of some sort.

The real bonus, for us brother, is gonna be a longer, better quality life!!!

So you made it into and out of NYC without a 1st Cavalry Division escort?
I've heard on the internet how dangerous it is in NYC, you know.

Congrats on the weight loss.

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Sure you did

Good for you, bud.

Ladder, since moving to Pa I have been in NYC a bit... usually the telecom buildings at 60 Hudson st and 111 8th ave.
This was my first trip to Times Square.
I have never been to NYC for pleasure, always work.
However I do plan on taking the kids, 14 and 15, there this summer.


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

Small update, holding steady between 264-268.
Looks like this IS my maintained weight and will be easy to stay at unless I make an extreme alteration in my activity or diet.
I am feeling good, not looking horrible, and pretty darn happy with myself.
In the end... THAT is very important.


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

I liked you better when you were big, warm and cuddly.

You need to change your name to

"Evil One Lite"

Congratulations on respecting yourself and your life.

Many try and do not get it done.

I have a friend, big guy, who is headed to 300 from 460.

He gets to live.

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I Love This Site

Thats great. Very impressive and surely something to be proud of.

I'm not too big but I got tired of how I looked.........
so I took all the mirrors out of my house and cars.

Good for you ! That diabetes ain't nothing to be fooled around with. You look good plus you will have a healthy impression on your kids. The biggest benifit will be a happier, fuller life with a few more years added on.

At my yearly physical in December of '010 I could barely button the waistband on size 46 pants and the needle on the scale was nudging 310#. I decided to make some changes for the better, I asked my doctor for his help. He made an appointment for me to see a dietician, she outlined a very simple eating plan which I have followed all last year. I have eliminated white bread from my diet entirely, eating wheat, rye and pumpernickel instead. I have also limited intake of carbs, downsized portions, added small snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon and drink plenty of water. The 35# weight loss has allowed my doctor to take me off one of my diabetic meds and consider lowering B/P med dosage. My blood sugar is well controlled and I look and feel much better. I plan to try for the same amount of weight loss this year, taking my weight down to 240-245# which I feel is sustainable given my age and activity level.

CONGRATS!!!


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

congrats and I've been there pal, its like anything else its not a matter of big changes its a bunch of small changes that make the difference, thing is I gotta make those small changes again but still it aint impossibile if you just play it smart.

Good stuff. How does your A1C look after this time?

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NHI, 10-8.

Amazing job, Evil One.....amazing.

Doug, not sure. I moved to a different state and dont have a local Dr yet.
6pack, many thanks... but no where near as impressive as yours.


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

Great that you took control of your life. You probably inspired a few folks.

Tonight.

For the first time since 1994 I am into a pair of regular fit Levi 517s.
I think I will be dropping a bit more now... I see another target in my future.


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

You look great.

Just remember to blink once in awhile.....for the children

Sorry about the hair loss, I guess it was worth it

Whats really cool is you have your mind on getting further
into fit and trim.

Rare and inspirational.

Drive on, you are definitely headed in the right direction.

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I Love This Site

Wow,Looking like a new man!!! You gotta feel better too.

Congratulations Jim.

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Dum vivo cano

You look great! Keep it up and God Bless.

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You need guns- buy more guns!

Great job on the weight loss and getting into shape. You feel better,don't you? Staying healthy as you get older is sometimes not an easy task,but worth the effort in the long run. You'll live longer and the quality of your life will be better.
Just don't get too carried away and be sure to retain enough body mass to help you handle a big guy if you are grabbed by one.
Congratulations on your determination and dedication,sir.

keep up the good work!!! your weght loss and life style change has got to last a life time....so...................
eliminate sugared drinks, fast food,
eat more fruits and vegetables.
consume a lot less snacks, red meat, beer
when the hunger monster nags you…..drink lots of water and keep busy.

I know how difficult it can be… I turned myself around about four years ago and I aint going back to the old fat me.

Picking up a kettle bell tomorrow, time to actually start trying.


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

I'm 39 and have quit smoking after 20+ years. I never had to worry about weight gain but I had no energy at all. I have been drinking only water and not eating sweets while doing tons of push ups and lifting weights at the gym. I feel a lot better now that I watch what I eat/drink and have thrown away the cigarettes. I don't want to be the guy that can't breath and looks a lot older than he is. Great job on challenging yourself, you did it.

Maintaining at 259ish now.
5-10 lbs on a 250+ pound guy is kind of like throwing deck chairs off the Titanic... but holding below the 260 line is a nice feeling.
My current project is swapping out 107 lb batteries in UPS cabinets, which feels like more than enough exercise at the end of the day.



Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

2 year later,,, after hitting a low of 190 (I'm 6ft even, start up at 325) , I'm back up to bouncing between 230 and 240.

Really fighting to get back down to near 200 ...
went from size 50 pants down to 36's (barely, more comfortable in 38), now very comfortable in 42's.
At 200 I was just into then 38's.


Funny, I work as a staff engineer at a service firm, in the same field. critical DC power.. maintenance , sell/install the cells/monoblocks for the UPS batteries (wet cells and VLRA's). I deal with the monitoring systems and automating the testing the tech's do in the field for the PM's.

Please dont say Intellibatt...


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

Even if it doesn't add years to your life, it will add life to your years.

Missed this thread the first time around. Congratulations on the changes.

I'm six feet, give or take a millimeter, and have averaged 210-220 for the last several years. I'm also recently diagnosed as diabetic and need to drop some poundage. I'd like to hit 170 (which is not a bad or impossible target given my high school and college weight of 150-160) but doubt I will be able to get much below 185-190. We'll see. I may not be able to get to a great weight and condition, but I can certainly get to a better one.

Again, good for you. Thanks for the inspiration.

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David Wilson

Excellent! Keep up the great work. Looking great and more attractive to the women.
Wish I could get away with the hairless look.

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Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired

I'll PM you.

And yes, should have said, great job on keeping it off.

I'm struggling, but it will always be work to keep it off.
Old bad habits die hard.

Been on the thread cause we were both loosing it at about the same time, now dealing with the maintenance of it... and than to see you in the lead slinging business too,... found that too funny ..

The industrial and military electronics industry has tanked over the last 15 years on my area.. so had to change areas, and found an opportunity to get in with this one regional company. Can't out source the actual physical data centers to the far east.

I have a great wife, she put up with my weight.
Things are even better now.

But for my back and knees that were part of the original cause/ excuse for packing on the weight over the last 20 years or so... my health was good.. and use to hear from my Dr, you're as healthy as a horse, but weight like one too, drop the weight before it catches up with you.
With knees and back just getting worse, figured better start.. and with some help and talk from my wife, finally cause me to buckle down.

wow you are doing great and I am going to use your story to inspire myself. I am at 290 and want to be around 190 or 200.

Give me some of that excess weight. I had bad teeth making it hard to eat, now they've been yanked so its still hard to eat. I'm loosing buckets of weight and I don't want to. It's a diet I do not recommend.

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Hold on. SWAT's at my door.

I was daignosed with diabetes at age 59 and my weight had topped 300#. At 310# and taking three meds to control my blood sugar I decided the time had come to get serious about losing weight. My doctor suggested a meeting with a dietician, that proved to be a turning point in my battle with my weight. I made the changes in my diet the dietician suggested, mainly smaller portions, watching carb intake, small mid-morning and afternoon snscks and eight 8 oz. glasses of water. I lost 35# the first year and woud like to lose another 35 this year. I look and feel better and my clothes fit great. At 310# size 46 pants were getting snug and I did not want to pay the prices for clothing from the big & tall guys store.