Hello. My name is Joe Swam. I am the coordinator of CGO (computer generated ordering) at a chain of grocery stores in Maryland. A long time ago (okay ten years ago) in a galaxy not so far away I was a personal trainer. I weighed approximately 190 pounds and had about 6 to 7 percent body fat. Then I got married and my son was born. I now have almost nothing in common with "that guy" (I don't mean to imply that my wife and son are to blame for this). A back injury sustained at work and some very poor lifestyle choices (Ben & Jerry's, Mountain Dew and online poker instead of volleyball/basketball) have left me at 290 pounds. I stumbled across this site and have decided to commit to taking back my life. I have eliminated soda from my diet and I am eating five times a day (versus two). I will not claim to be eating perfect yet, but I have introduced many more fruits and vegetables as well as lean proteins and cut all dessert type foods. I have also begun using the beginners body weight circuit. I am in the second week of using it, and my goal is to use it four times a week. I have also begun walking/jogging 30 to 45 minutes four times a week, first thing in the morning or after dinner. I am not stepping on a scale until after the first of the year. I would like to keep doing what I am doing and then use what I HOPE will be weight loss on Jan 1st to provide even more momentum for next year. I would really like to get down to 200 pounds, but more importantly would just like to feel better and be more healthy. I will post any progress I make here. I hope to use my experiences to help others, and hopefully take from the experience of others here to help in my own progress. Thanks for reading, "talk" to you soon.
