Lean and Hard

I am a part-time blogger. And I was morbidly obese. So naturally, when I finally found my own pathway to fitness, I had to blog about it.

At my biggest I was 303 pounds large. For a man who is 5' 10", that gave me a BMI of 43.5, which made me morbidly obese. According to Highland Hospital, "Morbid obesity is a serious health condition that can interfere with basic physical functions such as breathing or walking. Those who are morbidly obese are at greater risk for illnesses including diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gallstones, osteoarthritis, heart disease, and cancer."

I had gained weight steadily over the years ever since I began suffering from chronic fatigue. My version of this condition included two symptoms that were a lethal combination: a huge, ungovernable appetite and extreme mental and physical fatigue. Lots of eating and little to no physical activity. You do the math.

I tried dieting. Couldn't do it. Berating me and trying to scare me straight didn't help. If you had put a gun to my head and made a credible threat to shoot me dead unless I ate less, I would have had to be shot. I know there are many of you reading this who know exactly what I'm talking about. Go to a nutritionist? What for? I already know I eat too much. Join Weight Watchers? (I did.) Same thing, pointless. Again, you know whereof I speak.

I went to every kind of doctor under the sun trying to find a cure for the fatigue. Homeopath? Sure, why not? Cleveland Clinic? Again, why not? Batteries of tests revealed nothing. Psychiatrist? Yep. I even traveled to the Dominican Republic to see a doctor a friend swore had cured them. Waste of time and money.

Most recently I checked out bariatric surgery. Now that might have helped, but it wasn't covered by my insurance and I couldn't afford to self pay.

How long could I have kept living, continually adding pounds and health issues? I don't think I would have made it much further.

So what happened? What has made it possible for me to get my energy back and my appetite under control? What's allowed me to lose an average of 12 pounds per month and get exercise 6 days a week? I will tell you. It started with a conversation with my oldest son...