DoktorMandrake: Episode IV - A New Life

[DoktorMandrake]

Hello All-

I've been reading NF for a while now, but I've finally decided to join the forums to further my journey to A New Life.

I'll try to bring you up to speed as briefly as I can. I grew up overweight. My whole life. I've lived the same story as I've read hundreds of thousands of times. I am the face of every guy who "tried everything," every diet, every routine, even considered gastric bypass surgery when I was at my heaviest. I gave up. I was fat, and I was going to be like that for the rest of my life.

The most success I ever had was on Atkins when I was in high school. I lost about 50lbs without ever exercising, and got down to about 235. I was thinner, but not healthy. And when I went off to college, the No-Carb lifestyle gave way to late-night pizza runs with roommates, ramen, beer, and absolutely no regard for my diet. I steadily started gaining the weight back, by junior year, I was up to 280. Those 50lbs I lost were right back on, and had no intention of going anywhere.

I always knew that exercise worked for me. When I exercised, I lost weight. I was just too lazy to follow a routine. I graduated and hit the depressing wall of "what do I do now," and got a job working retail and bartending. The horrendously sporadic working hours, and poor diet, compounded with no exercise, and poor sleep lead me to balloon up to my heaviest of 330lbs in February of 2010. I started working out at a fitness center next door to where I worked and managed to drop about 30 lbs, but after about 4 months I fell off the workout-wagon. I was applying to graduate school, and moved to California in August of 2010.

Fast forward four months- My father has a major heart surgery (bypass, and valve replacement) which is hereditary. His mother had the exact same surgery when she was his age. He recovers fully, and I realize that unless I change my lifestyle... I might not even make it to his age.

January hits... Enter Deus Ex Machina (Not the video game)

My car breaks down. I don't have the money to fix it. I sell the car, and buy a bicycle.

I had no other means of transportation. I had to exercise every day. Being in the graduate program, meant that I really only had to ride to school, and around town. So I saw it as a blessing in disguise.

Now that I was exercising every day, walking or riding to the supermarket became a wakeup call. I had to buy essentials because there was no way for me to transport a months' worth of groceries back to my house. I started buying less garbage, more produce, more frequently and started cleaning up my diet to the healthiest it's ever been in my life.

Fast forward- I start reading NerdFitness and Marksdailyapple and go Paleo.

Since my car died in January, 2011, I have ridden my bike over 1000 miles and lost 85 lbs. Since I was at my heaviest in February, 2010, I've lost 120.

I'm down to 210, and still dropping. I went from a size 48-50 pants to size 36, XXXL-XXL shirt to Medium. My goal is to hit 190lbs and to be able to do 10 pull-ups in a row by January 2012. I'm working out using the NerdFitness Rebel Strength Guide, and working full time to level up my life.

I've still got a ways to go... I finally decided to join this forum to further my own journey, and start an effort to maintain this level of fitness for the foreseeable future.

I owe a great deal to my friend who introduced me to NerdFitness, and to this site in general. And maybe more than a little to whatever stroke of divine intervention that decided to kill my car, and get me off my ass!

I look forward to meeting you folks on the site, and becoming a part of the support network this site has created.

Thanks for reading-

The Doktor

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrfnq3ksAH1qmfuwbo1_500.jpg

[The Purple Diane]

Wow! What an amazing transformation!

Welcome, and please keep us posted!

[Hemi]

welcome to the rebellion!

wow...you have achieved so much! my sincerest congrats to you. truly inspirational.