So......How?

As I previously mentioned in my first post, people ask a variety of questions in regards to my weight loss. The most frequented, of course, are the 'why', 'how', 'when', etc. We already addressed why I chose to change my life, so let's dive in to how I did such a drastic turn around.

It is almost certain that most already know this, but it is a two-way street. The lifelong questions of Dieting vs. Workouts. To limit your carbohydrate intake or increase your bicep curl weights. It goes on and on. However to be frank with you, it truly is both. Maybe not at the same time and one happens long before the other, but both are crucial steps in a weight loss journey.

For me, I went from 300lbs to about 230/240lbs by only watching what I ate. I have never stepped foot in a gym or even considered working out. As a restaurant server, I am always on my feet all day which is an excellent form of cardio. That was my only 'real' exercise that I would get in daily. It was simply portion control. I still ate a slice of pizza at times, fried foods, or even candy; but it was all within reason. My diet hasn't strayed too far away from that as I still consume some junky-type foods but that is due to my fitness goals as of now which corresponds to my current diet (we'll get into that down the road). It wasn't until I was nearly hallway down (230lbs) before I bought my first gym membership and stepped foot in a fitness facility for the first time in my entire life. During my first workout, I could only run about three tenths of a mile and even that was pushing it!

As one does with most hobbies or activities, as you get more comfortable with something you slowly expand on it. As the days, weeks, and months grew, I'd change my workout to include different muscle groups, heavier weights, etc. Before I knew it, I went from spending just under half an hour in the gym to three hours average.

Reaching my target weight and finally shedding all the fat I wanted too, it was time to build muscle. From this, I knew I needed to eat more calories in every food category. This was especially hard for me as - in my head - when I consumed an unusual amount of food I would think it would be going right back towards fat storage. Of course that is no the case if you keep up your lifestyle at the gym. The mental battle between your mind and body is a real thing and it will only calm down once you're comfortable with accepting your progress.

The bottom line is, it is a two-way street. You can lose weight by just changing what you eat but for results that last longer with greater benefits, you need to find that healthy relationship between Diet vs. Exercise.