Current Diet

Now that the 'Diet vs. Exercise' debate is over, it is time to address another burning question everyone has; what do I eat? Although I am in the process of building muscle, which requires consuming an excessive amount of calories a day, I still tend to watch what I eat quite religiously. 

I used to - and still am - pretty self-conscious on what I eat. For the longest time after reaching my target weight, I would be afraid to eat a fry, potato chip, or any ounce of carbs. I had the mindset that even the smallest amount of unhealthy food I eat, I will lose all my muscle and gain all my fat back suddenly. That is a product of the mental side effects of weight loss which will surely be touched later on own the road. (Mainly because the effects hold a large cloud over my head still to this day). 

I slowly became more comfortable with eating a variety of foods and as much as I do try and stay away from some lesser friendly to the human body-foods, I still cheat here and there. Nearly 95% of my diet consists of grilled chicken. Whenever I can get it, or any protein source for that matter, I try and take full advantage of it. My go-to is a chicken Caesar salad with the dressing on the side which is truly a game-changer. Just the dressing alone consists of quite of a bit of not-so-good ingredients for your body. It's the little things like that which will completely overhaul your dietary intake. Grilled chicken, Caesar salad, soup, eggplant, most fruits, grains, yogurts, red meat, turkey, rice, etc. I aim to have a decent balance between carbs and protein per plate. Many people avoid certain foods because of high sodium content or high in some other nutrient or too low in another. As much as that is important to look at, I only see if it has carbs and/or protein and I am good to go. That is for my regular meals.

My pre- and post-workouts are completely different in which I try and go fro foods with almost a 100% sugar or caffeine level. That will be focused on very shortly with in my blog. In terms of how many times you eat and the exact portions, that all depends on the goals that being targeted. If Person A is trying to lose fat, then their diet will surely be different than Person B trying to lose fat and gain muscle. If Person C is strictly attempting to gain muscle, then neither A or B will be close to C. Doing research and reaching out for help not only if those questions but for questions on specific contents of food, nutritionists, personal trainers, online blogs and forums are exceptional resources. Before starting my weight loss, I had ZERO background knowledge in dieting, nutrition, and working out. Stay tuned!

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.

Welcome! 'The Why?'

Welcome to my first post of my newly-branded blog, Weight Loss Peregrination. Weight can be a very sensitive topic for most. This blog, in the most humble way possible, is about my weight loss journey from the very beginning to the effects that are still experienced today in my daily life. There are so many questions people have when I mention I used to top the scales at just over 300 pounds and worked that number down to nearly 165 in just over 14-15 months. 

"How did you do it?", "What made you decide to do so?", "What did/do you eat?", "How do you feel now?", and many, many more. Yes, those ARE some valid questions that have serious answers to them. However, it goes way further beyond the scope of the 'how's' and the 'why's'. Losing weight comes with it's consequences that are sort-term as well as long-lasting that may never go away. In this series of blog posts that will follow over the next handful of weeks, serious topics will be investigated and torn open for an in-depth review of rather significant point chapters or points within the weight loss journey, for any person of that matter, that are thought to get over-looked upon. From the physical effort it takes on the dinner table and in the gym to the huge impact on the wallet to even the harshly, acute situations your mind is put through and the ongoing battle with BDD and depression. It is certainly going to get deep into thought, so buckle up!

Before we get into the intricate details of it all, let's start with the WHY of it all. It was fairly simple, I was disgusted with myself. As I grew in age and grade level in High School, I became more and more mad and sad at myself for letting me get to as big as I was when I peaked. There was no excuse. I wasn't always big but towards the end of elementary school is when the pounds started to add on...quickly. During my senior year of high school, I found myself attending many political rallies (on both sides of the aisle I may add).  Being heavy in the political sphere, I made it a goal to meet every single candidate who filed to run for the Presidency in 2016 of both major parties. In the end, I was able to accomplish that and it was truly an amazing experience. However, I would be the one who always got there very early and ended up behind or beside the candidate in the view of the dozens of television cameras in the press pool.

I would go home and see myself on the evening news behind the presidential hopeful. I wasn't happy with how big I looked. It was the first time i saw myself up-close on the screen that I knew something had to change; especially being on the verge of starting my higher education career as a media studies student. I knew I wanted to do something in TV or radio and was almost positive that the way I looked and presented myself wouldn't fly in the industry I wanted to be in. It was a day in April of 2016 that I started this journey which would turn out to be the first day of the rest of my life.


Justin

Mid-June, 2016 (5'11 @ 303 lbs)

July, 2018 (6'2 @ 203lbs)