Right around Thanksgiving 2013, I weighed in at a svelte (for me) 264.5 pounds. By the next time I stepped on the scale to record my weight, I had lost all momentum on the diet I was on and had gained almost 40 pounds.
That was a tasty four months.
There’s a reason why that is significant for me today. Somewhere between that November weigh-in and March 10, 2014, this out-of-control guy passed a number on the scale I’d vowed I’d never go above again — the dreaded 300-pound mark.
When I returned from an LDS mission to France and Switzerland as a 21-year-old in 1992, I gained about 100 pounds in a year because of a wicked combination of loneliness, depression and free food through my McDonald’s job. That pushed me into the three-bills zone where I stayed for the next eight years.
Since then I’ve been all over the scale, dipping below 200 briefly in 2009 and then bouncing back up to 373.7 pounds on March 6 of this year. But I’ve been above 300 pounds for about half of my adult life.
There is a point to all of this rambling about weighing more than 300 pounds and a reason why I’m writing a weight-loss blog on Monday instead of Friday.
Being a 300-plus-pounder is not fun for a guy who’s only 5-foot-7ish.
It’s hard to move. It’s hard to tie your shoes. It’s hard to find clothes. It’s hard to sit in seats. It’s hard to feel good about yourself.
It’s also … in the past for me.
Guess who doesn’t weigh 300 pounds?
OK, aside from Taylor Swift.
Give up?
ME! As of this morning, I’ve officially revoked my membership in the 300-pound club.
My scale might be the only thing happier than me.
It took me 19 weeks of nutritious eating on my awesome health program, and I made it to this important milestone. Hallelujah! (By the way, I just did the math. If I’d continued gaining weight at the rate I had been for quite a while — 2.3 pounds a week — I would now weigh 417.4 pounds if I hadn’t gotten my act together.)
Saturday was the first time I saw those beautiful digits in the 200s. I was so excited that I almost posted about it then. However, that weigh-in was made in Las Vegas so I decided to get home in Utah to make sure it wasn’t just a fluke. Just to torture me, my scale creeped up above 300 again after I drove back from Sin City. Darn elevation! (Somebody on Twitter informed me that we actually weigh less at lower elevations because we’re closer to the Earth’s core, so my next weigh-in might happen atop Mount Everest.)
I weighed in multiple times this morning — treating my scale like a stair-stepper — and the results were all a pound or so into the 200s.
It’s been far too long since I’ve been in this century, but, truthfully, I’ve got big plans to move right through the 200s and find a permanent spot in the 100s.
In the meantime, I might be the only person my height who’s thrilled to pieces to weigh right around 299.
And, no offense 300s, but I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure we never meet again.
This week’s bonus mid-week weigh-in:
- Starting weight (March 6): 373.7 pounds
- Last week’s weight (July 15): 301
- This week’s weight (July 18): 298.6
- This week’s loss: 2.4 pounds
- Total loss: 75.1 pounds
👏 👏 Awesome!
Thank you!
That’s totally amazing!!! Great job!!!
Thank you, Jennifer!
Congrats Jody! A couple of buddies and I met you last Saturday (7/9) at Summer League, as you were walking up steps behind the visitor’s bench. Great to meet you and awesome to see the progress you’ve made. Cheering you on, man.
Hey Jake! It was nice to meet you guys! Thanks for the support, man. Hopefully I’ll be unrecognizable the next time we meet.
The difference in your feet is amazing!!!! And good job on getting into the 200s! Here’s to the 100s!!!
Thank you! Yes it is! My feet and legs were SO bloated when I started four months ago. Simply not having to deal with that is a huge relief! 100s, here we come!
Still waiting to see you participate in the Ironman in St. George…….Next Year?
Hi, Irene! I definitely plan on getting back into triathlons. I’m not quite sure if I’ll be ready to rock and roll that early into 2017, though.
We weigh more at lower elevations since the acceleration of gravity does after all depend on altitude, but the difference between Vegas and Herriman would only be about a tenth of a pound for a 300 lb guy. Plus, you’d weigh MORE in Vegas than Utah, not less, since Vegas is at lower altitude (lower the distance, the stronger the gravitational attraction). You’re right that if you weighed in at the top of Everest the decreased gravity would knock your weight down by almost a pound, though that would be partially counteracted since you’d also be missing out on about a third of a pound of buoyancy due to the lower air density. Plus, there’s the latitude effect since earth is a rotating (not inertial) frame.
Yes, I know you’re just having fun with the gravity discussion and probably recognize that noticeable fluctuations in weight when you change altitudes/climates are more than likely due to water retention as your body adjusts. We physicists just love to weigh in (pun not intended) when we can. I’ve been following your weight loss and cheering for you.
This is …. amazing! LOL. Thanks for that awesome explanation and for your support!
Fantastic! What an exciting day!!! Congratulations. I bet it makes the effort to stay on track in Vegas well worth it.
It was SOOOO worth it, Marianne! Thank you!
Jody, I need your recipe for success. I’m 5’9″ and currently hovering around the 350 lb mark. You know the challenges this brings to what should be simple, daily life, activities. I need help. Can I get your game plan? I want to follow what works, and whatever you’re doing seems to be working. Thank you, and best wishes for continued success!
Jody, this is awesome! I follow your work and have enjoyed following your weight loss journey. As a person that has never had to battle something like this (not rubbing it in) I couldn’t imagine how hard you have had to work at it. Keep going Jody! I’m not sure why but your story has inspired me and I look forward to the day you reach your ultimate goal.
That’s a great accomplishment, Jody! And I didn’t even mind the clickbait headline! Keep up the good work
LOL. Thanks, Darnell! I’d been joking about the clickbait headline on Twitter, so I figured I’d jokingly use one.