About

Note: This page was written when I started the blog and things have obviously changed since then. Click the Photos tab on top to see current photos!

200by40 is a blog about weight loss and the trials and tribulations associated with it. Until now, I was posting anything I had about my weight loss/gain on my personal blog but decided this would be a better idea. This blog is a way to target an audience that might be in the same boat as I am when it comes to battling their weight.

Anything and everything about said journey will be posted here as a way to serve as inspiration, humor, disgust, etc. Hopefully those that are walking down the same path will derive some pleasure out of it and post their thoughts in the Comments section.

So don’t be shy—join the fun.

Thanks, and enjoy.

About Me
Some people complain about their weight. Others get tired of it and do something about it.

I’m Dave and on March 30, 2004 my wife and I were blessed with the gift of a child. It was at that point that I decided to make some changes in my life regarding my weight. I now had two people that were counting on me and I simply could not risk my health anymore.

Nothing changed for almost a year. A trip to the doctor, however, opened my eyes and got me going when the man in the white coat told me, “You’ve gained a little weight since I last saw you.” At the time I weight in at 297 lbs. and thought nothing of it.

But those words kept ringing in my ears.

A day later I started changing things. I decided that the last thing my wife and son needed was a sloth of a husband and father; I owed it to them to get myself in the best shape I possibly could. Shortly after starting I made a commitment to myself: I was going to be down to 200 lbs. by my 40^th birthday on February 14, 2009. And I would do it without the help of any form of surgery. I do admit, however, to having one pound of fat removed when I had hernia repair surgery in September 2007. I didn’t request it; it had to be removed (As a side note, I’ve seen people that have had LapBand surgery. My assessment? They look like deflated elephants because they are eating less—but not exercising.)

The program started out simply by cutting back on food intake. I then later expanded to the Weight Watchers Points Program which helped my wife lose 40 lbs. just before she got pregnant. I am still sticking to the Points Program, replaced diet soft drinks with (lots of) water and green tea and under my doctor’s advice, have given up fast food. Note that I’m not a drinker or smoker so I had no problems in those departments.

The result, combined with regular exercise, has been a loss of nearly 47 lbs. since December 2005:

I celebrated recently by throwing out all of my Fat Guy Pants, sizes 48-44. I’m now down to size 42 and feel great. It’s been slow and gradual but it’s working. In short, it may have taken a couple of years but it’s stayed off, save for a few holidays when it’s perfectly acceptable to indulge. Yes, it is permitted now and then!

But my work is not done by a long shot, and that’s where this blog comes in. In this, the final stages of my weight loss plan, I will post random thoughts about food, exercise, and just about anything else that pops into my mind about losing those last pesky pounds. And I invite you along for the trip.

Photos of Me Over the Years
You can see selection of photo of yours truly since 2002 on my Photos page.

Thoughts on Weight Loss
Everybody wants to lose weight the easy way. Sorry, but from my experience that’s not the way it works. While some may view Weight Watchers’ Points as a quick way to do it, I’m proof that it’s not. Here’s why.

Back in 1986 I lost nearly 100 lbs. in six months. I did it by eating less and doing more exercises—just about what I’m doing now.

Now ask me if I kept it off.

No, I didn’t. In fact by the time I was done with high school, I was back to my pre-diet weight. But how is that even possible?

The real difference between now and then is time. I’ve learned that changing your eating habits is a lifelong commitment and not something you do in order to lose some quick weight (and expect it to stay off long-term). My problem was that since there was such a small gap between the time I started the diet and the result, I found it easy to go back to eating crap.

Here’s a way to think about it. When I lost all that weight in 1986, six months was too close to the 90 lbs. I had lost at the end of my journey. As such, it was easy for me to go back to my bad eating habits. Now, having taken a few years to lose 47 lbs., I’ve changed my ways and merely thinking of eating the equivalent of a cement bag of food—that’s just about the amount I’ve lost—really sickens me. I can’t, and won’t, go back.

And that’s why so-called diets fail. I’ve learned that if you want to keep the weight off, it requires a lifestyle change that includes eating healthy and exercising. It may take time but it’s worth it in the long run.

So in a nutshell, in comparison to my 1986 diet, I’m going to lose half the weight (50 lbs.) in twice the time (about one year).

The journey has begun. See you at the finish line.

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