Reclaiming Vitality: My 50-Pound Weight Loss Journey at 61
08.10.2023 posted by Admin
My transformation towards a healthier lifestyle began in mid-March 2021 when I was 61 years old. Rather than blaming the lockdown, I recognized that my weight issues stemmed from my own inactivity.
It all started when my wife showed me a photo of myself sitting down, and I realized I had grown tired of feeling perpetually sluggish. At that time, I tipped the scales at over 300 pounds.
Over the years, I had made sporadic attempts at various diets, but they always left me even heavier than when I began. This time, with the unwavering support of my wife, Nancy, I committed to cutting out nearly all sugary and processed foods from my diet.
I waved goodbye to my beloved sugary root beer soda and bid adieu to my daily trips to Starbucks for an indulgent caramel frappuccino, complete with extra caramel drizzle. I was essentially a walking time bomb, just waiting for a health crisis.
In my younger days, I possessed boundless energy – as any child does. However, as I grew older, I found myself drained of vitality due to my sedentary lifestyle. We've all heard the saying, "If you don't use it, you lose it," and that's precisely what happened to me – I had become accustomed to a life of idleness.
Once I made the switch in my diet, I immediately noticed a surge in my energy levels. No longer was I riding the rollercoaster of sugar highs followed by inevitable crashes.
When I had my annual physical in early June 2021, my weight had dropped to 255 pounds, solely due to my dietary changes. I was ecstatic to have shed more than 50 pounds through this modification.
For me, this journey has primarily been about changing my lifestyle and maintaining a consistent exercise routine.
I was employed in the before-and-after school programs with Fairfax County, catering to children to assist their parents. That summer, I was stationed at a school right across from a track.
A dear friend of mine had dedicated the past year to walking, exercising, and adhering to a strict diet. Her commitment inspired me to start walking too.
On June 13, 2021, I took my first steps, initially covering just two laps, equivalent to half a mile. Gradually, I increased my distance.
Before long, I was logging over 20,000 steps daily. The more I walked, the more invigorated I felt. Some days, I would walk for five or six hours, and my wife patiently supported my extended absences.
Today, I still have days when I spend hours walking, but it's primarily for maintenance. I've even managed to shed five pounds in the past two weeks by increasing my step count and striving to maintain a calorie deficit.
During this phase, I hadn't introduced any bodyweight exercises yet, so while the pounds were melting away, I was still not in great shape.
In my youth, I used to do push-ups with my father, so I turned to them as my initial exercise choice. However, I was so out of shape that I couldn't even push myself up from the floor.
So, during breaks at school, I sought out a wall and started doing wall push-ups, beginning with 20 repetitions. Over time, I worked my way up to performing 1,000 wall push-ups daily. Subsequently, I transitioned to push-ups on the couch and eventually on the floor.
Push-ups have now become a part of my daily routine. I start my mornings with sets of 30 or 40 and continue throughout the day.
I also introduced planks and daily crawls around my backyard into my regimen. It may sound amusing, a man in his sixties crawling around, but I've become as comfortable on all fours as I am walking – sometimes even more so.
Come August 2021, I encountered a roadblock. Frustration set in, and I began to question why I was putting in all this effort. Although I felt significantly better, something was still missing. By this point, I had reached a weight of 209 pounds, having shed nearly 100 pounds.
Then, on the first day of school, one of the gym teachers, Kenan Brod, approached me and remarked, "Mr. Everett, you are looking fit."
I'll never forget that moment. She had seen me at my heaviest, and for her to acknowledge my progress was the motivation I needed to persist on my journey.
My life has undergone a complete transformation. I now possess boundless energy, and with the exception of running (which I've never been fond of), I feel capable of tackling anything – as long as it doesn't involve hanging from a pull-up bar due to my troublesome shoulders. In terms of weight loss, I believe I'm right where I want to be.
It all started when my wife showed me a photo of myself sitting down, and I realized I had grown tired of feeling perpetually sluggish. At that time, I tipped the scales at over 300 pounds.
Over the years, I had made sporadic attempts at various diets, but they always left me even heavier than when I began. This time, with the unwavering support of my wife, Nancy, I committed to cutting out nearly all sugary and processed foods from my diet.
I waved goodbye to my beloved sugary root beer soda and bid adieu to my daily trips to Starbucks for an indulgent caramel frappuccino, complete with extra caramel drizzle. I was essentially a walking time bomb, just waiting for a health crisis.
In my younger days, I possessed boundless energy – as any child does. However, as I grew older, I found myself drained of vitality due to my sedentary lifestyle. We've all heard the saying, "If you don't use it, you lose it," and that's precisely what happened to me – I had become accustomed to a life of idleness.
Once I made the switch in my diet, I immediately noticed a surge in my energy levels. No longer was I riding the rollercoaster of sugar highs followed by inevitable crashes.
When I had my annual physical in early June 2021, my weight had dropped to 255 pounds, solely due to my dietary changes. I was ecstatic to have shed more than 50 pounds through this modification.
For me, this journey has primarily been about changing my lifestyle and maintaining a consistent exercise routine.
I was employed in the before-and-after school programs with Fairfax County, catering to children to assist their parents. That summer, I was stationed at a school right across from a track.
A dear friend of mine had dedicated the past year to walking, exercising, and adhering to a strict diet. Her commitment inspired me to start walking too.
On June 13, 2021, I took my first steps, initially covering just two laps, equivalent to half a mile. Gradually, I increased my distance.
Before long, I was logging over 20,000 steps daily. The more I walked, the more invigorated I felt. Some days, I would walk for five or six hours, and my wife patiently supported my extended absences.
Today, I still have days when I spend hours walking, but it's primarily for maintenance. I've even managed to shed five pounds in the past two weeks by increasing my step count and striving to maintain a calorie deficit.
During this phase, I hadn't introduced any bodyweight exercises yet, so while the pounds were melting away, I was still not in great shape.
In my youth, I used to do push-ups with my father, so I turned to them as my initial exercise choice. However, I was so out of shape that I couldn't even push myself up from the floor.
So, during breaks at school, I sought out a wall and started doing wall push-ups, beginning with 20 repetitions. Over time, I worked my way up to performing 1,000 wall push-ups daily. Subsequently, I transitioned to push-ups on the couch and eventually on the floor.
Push-ups have now become a part of my daily routine. I start my mornings with sets of 30 or 40 and continue throughout the day.
I also introduced planks and daily crawls around my backyard into my regimen. It may sound amusing, a man in his sixties crawling around, but I've become as comfortable on all fours as I am walking – sometimes even more so.
Come August 2021, I encountered a roadblock. Frustration set in, and I began to question why I was putting in all this effort. Although I felt significantly better, something was still missing. By this point, I had reached a weight of 209 pounds, having shed nearly 100 pounds.
Then, on the first day of school, one of the gym teachers, Kenan Brod, approached me and remarked, "Mr. Everett, you are looking fit."
I'll never forget that moment. She had seen me at my heaviest, and for her to acknowledge my progress was the motivation I needed to persist on my journey.
My life has undergone a complete transformation. I now possess boundless energy, and with the exception of running (which I've never been fond of), I feel capable of tackling anything – as long as it doesn't involve hanging from a pull-up bar due to my troublesome shoulders. In terms of weight loss, I believe I'm right where I want to be.