Name: Frank
Age: 41
Family Status: Married with kids
Occupation: Self employed
Hometown: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Pounds or Inches Lost: I lost 149 pounds!
Height: 5’7″
Waist: 32″
Starting Weight: 332 pounds
Current Weight: 183 pounds
Frank’s Weight Loss Story!
I’ve been heavy all my life and in January, my life changed forever. My daughter’s love was reason enough to motivate myself. I was 36 years of age at the time and was able to drop 149 pounds!
Weighing in at 332 pounds and standing five feet seven inches tall, I had many health related issues that included type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea (wearing a sleeping appliance) and sore feet. I was also on medication (six pills a day) and I knew that something had to change. I wore a pants size of 48 inches and my neck size was 19 inches! I basically looked like a miniature elephant!
I’m a self-employed businessman who owns three businesses and my stress level was very high. Being busy is not unusual for me but it was a crazy life I was leading. I was juggling the businesses, my kid’s soccer schedule along with their basketball, swimming and any other sport you can think of. My life was a walking time bomb.
It all started out on New Year’s Eve when my daughter gave me a Happy New Year’s hug and I remember her saying, “Daddy I can’t even put my arms around you. Why are you so big?” I explained to her that I just liked to eat. Being Italian, I loved pasta, homemade pizza and bread. She didn’t really understand why her daddy had to be that way when most other dads were all in good shape.
I remember visiting my doctor in November just before my weight loss journey and explaining to her that I had sore feet. I asked her what to do? My doctor said with a faint voice that I needed to lose weight. I asked her “what did you say” and she said again that I needed to lose weight. Leaving my doctor’s office, I was depressed and embarrassed. I started a few months later with my weight loss journey.
My journey began with a purchase that saved my life. It was a treadmill. On January 2nd, my journey began. I did an hour of walking every morning before breakfast. After my workout, I had Go Lean cereal for breakfast with non-fat milk or egg whites mixed with oatmeal and a handful of blueberries. I normally had some fruit for a snack, a turkey pita for lunch loaded with vegetables (no mayonnaise or sauces, just mustard) or a bowl of lentil soup. Then, another fruit for a snack or some almonds in the afternoon and then salmon or boneless chicken with vegetables and a yam for dinner. I cheated once a week (usually on Saturday). I ate whatever I wanted and this was my “cheat day” which included a 6″ whole wheat chicken sub sandwich for lunch and for dinner I had chicken fajitas.
I drank 10 to 12 glasses of water every day which I think is a very important thing for weight loss. After one month of walking on the treadmill, I was 20 pounds lighter. I started walking faster and after a few more months, I started running. After four months, I had lost 70 pounds and went off all of my medication and did not have diabetes or high blood pressure any longer. My sore feet had disappeared and the sleep apnea was gone. When the sleep apnea went away, so did the loud and obnoxious snoring!
I then started using weights with my workout routine to tone up and did some biking along with running 5 to 7 km per day. I would cycle approximately 20 km at night. In July, my weight fell to 195 pounds. Presently, I am 183 pounds and have never been so happy in all my life. To date, I have lost a total of 149 pounds and kept it off! Food will never control my life again. With a 32-inch waist and a 14 1/2 inch neck, I feel like a million dollars!
My motto is “mind over mouth”. Your mind controls your eating habits. My health was too important to put at risk. There is no “magic pill” that will take the weight off. The weight will come off with hard work, from watching what you eat and working out on a regular basis. The best feeling in the world now is when I see someone and they don’t recognize me! You know all of your hard work has paid off.
Presently, what I do is just replace the bad foods with the good foods. So, instead of having three plates of pasta, I will have a quarter of a plate of whole wheat pasta, a piece of boneless chicken, a plate of salad and some vegetables. Every day (5 days a week) I do 40 minutes of different strenuous cardio routines and 30-45 minutes of weight training while training different muscle groups daily. I normally take the weekends off to rest my body. I still have my cheat days on Saturdays!
I proceeded to go back to my doctor’s office after my weight loss without her knowing and was waiting in the examining room. When the doctor came into the examining room she stated, “Can I help you with something?” and I said “It’s me, doctor”. She said “Who?” and I said “It’s Frank and guess what, my feet don’t hurt any longer”. She jumped out of her chair and said HOLY S@$#! The greatest feeling in the world is that my doctor did not recognize me!
For anyone trying to lose weight, working out is a great stress reliever. If I found the time to take the weight off while being self-employed and having a busy schedule with my kids, then anyone can find the time. There are no excuses anymore! It only takes 30-60 minutes a day and you’re on the road to a new you. Don’t forget to drink a lot of water also, which helps big time. I have managed to keep the weight off for 6 years!
Frank’s Weight Loss Interview!
When did you become unhappy with your weight?
When my daughter hugged me and could not get her arms around me. I was 332 pounds.
What made you decide to lose weight?
My daughter inspired me to lose weight.
What were the most important changes you made to lose weight?
Food choices, portion control, exercise and a commitment.
What was most challenging about losing weight?
When other people were eating unhealthy foods around me.
How long did it take you to start to see results?
2 weeks.
How long did it take for you to reach your current weight?
1 year.
How long have you maintained your weight loss and how do you do it?
6 years. I maintain it by sticking to my diet and exercise plan.
How has your life changed now that you’ve lost weight?
I feel amazing and I’m off all of my medication!
How did ShapeFit help you reach your weight loss goals?
ShapeFit.com has great weight loss stories which are very inspirational.
Frank’s Weight Loss Tips!
Weight loss tip #1:
Portion control.
Weight loss tip #2:
Commitment.
Weight loss tip #3:
Exercise.
Weight loss tip #4:
Live life.
Weight loss tip #5:
Drink a lot of water.
Frank’s Weight Loss Eating Plan!
Breakfast:
Egg whites, oatmeal and blueberries.
Lunch:
Chicken salad with oil and vinegar.
Dinner:
Chicken stir fry.
Snacks or Mini Meals:
Apple, banana or orange.
Frank’s Weight Loss Workouts!
Weight Training:
I train a different part of my body every day when I’m weight training.
Cardiovascular:
I do a different cardio routine every day.
