It’s why I love this community. Also why I can’t wait to get to meet alot of people at the Expo.
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8 years ago I felt terrible, then got diagnosed with sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes. I got on bipap treatment, got on a calorie deficit diet, and lifted nearly everyday. Lost 40lbs, quit smoking, and got my diabetes into remission. I’ve fluctuated +/- 10 lbs ever since. But covid shutting down gyms really took a toll on me. It was hard to get back into it, and I got a couple injuries trying. Not to mention my gym got really crowded due to some gyms closing permanently.
I’ve since been slowly building my own home gym, and it’s really motivated me big time. Currently, I’m probably in the best shape I’ve been in since my mid 20s. Having a gym with equipment catered to my specific needs, and issues really makes a huge difference. I’ve pretty much cured my lower back issues using a combination of a reverse hyper machine, and inversion boots. My shoulder pain isn’t holding me back now that I use a football bar on the lifts that irritate my shoulder. I always hated, and thus slacked on cardio. But I’ve been doing HIIT on a fan bike for 4 months now, and my resting heart rate dropped 10bpm!
Sometimes I train with a 40lbs weighted vest. Which just happens to put me at the weight I was at when I was at my heaviest. It’s an eye opener to think I used to naturally carry around that much weight. Not to mention the instability from just doing basic movements, like stepping up a curb.
Man, what a story! Sounds similar to my situation. My A1C is now below 6 and was in the 9’s. I used to take BP meds, an antacid after dinner, always sweating, 50 lbs heavier, hard time sleeping, All gone now from getting on the low carb diet thing.
Don’t you wish you could tell fat people you see, “just stop, we can fix this”! My family and extended family can’t believe how I’ve changed.
For folks who WANT to change, PM or ask me, or @Oliver_L we did it and you can too!
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OMG, I forgot about the terrible heartburn I used to have. Was popping antacids like candy, and waking up in the middle of the night to pop more. I’ve been drinking only alkaline water, it’s expensive, but I haven’t had heartburn in years.
I wish I could get through to my family. My sister’s vegan and won’t believe it’s harming her health. She’s overweight, and can’t stick to exercising regularly. What’s crazy is, she’s was a certified personal trainer. She keeps telling me I need to cut down on meat consumption. But I’m the one getting blood work regularly to stay on top of issues.
My mother keeps telling me to lose weight, because she doesn’t know the difference between fat and muscle. She always tells me I’m too fat, and I show her my 6 pack abs. But she doesn’t understand. Her boyfriend’s a retired doctor, and marathon runner. They think a healthy body is famished looking.
My dad’s got an auto immune disease that attacks his joints. He can only do low impact exercise, like swimming. I’m already older than him, when he first started getting the early symptoms of his disease, so hopefully that’s a good sign for me.
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Last year after the lockdowns, I didn’t realize how much I was affected by my sedentary job. Especially with my headset dying I used to get up and walk around while being on a phone call more often.
Then at the beginning of this year while out at the range, I was having a heck of a time being able to stand for long periods, let alone “run ‘n gun” the course with a slung rifle, pistol, and loaded belt. I’d been having growing issues with my elbows and rotator cuffs in my shoulders as well. My friend mentioned and was giving me some training advice saying my draw was “goofy” but working.
Then another training the next month with clearing a building, active shooter, home invasion/shoot house, and bounding overwatch tactics was rough.
That was it I knew I had to make some effort otherwise the direction I was heading in was going to be rough.
Change in diet, especially cutting out soda, getting up and walking around more and pushing myself to be able to start working out again.
This last week while training I felt better as loading the truck I wasn’t winded as I was at the beginning of the year. Then when putting on my battle belt I noticed it was looser, I realized I lost some girth.
Then the big factor I was able to stand the entire training without issues and no problems moving on the tactical course.
I’m looking forward to the next phases in improving my health as it is allowing my training to also be progressing.
Reading these other stories it’s a good motivator for me.
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Reading folks personal stories on fitness are very inspiring. My hope is help show folks that it CAN be done. As I’ve said in my earlier posts, I thought there was NO WAY I’d ever be able to go more than 2 or 3 hours without eating something. Now my body can easily eat dinner in the evening, in the morning just have a cup of coffee and a Two Good (2 carb) yogurt, skip lunch and have a regular dinner at 5 or 6 , or even as late as 8 with no dessert and I feel fine. No more low blood sugar feeling.
I had a student over a year ago who ran (waddled) my 3 gun course in 156 seconds. She lost 38lbs in the last year and 2 weeks ago when she came for shooting and a workout ran the same course in 98 seconds!
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