The Jody above instantly comes to my mind as I sign up for this round of dietbetter games. I feel like I was just here and its because I have been...TWICE. Jan 2014 I learned of Dietbetter from my cousin and over the previous 3 years had packed on the lbs. I had gone from 2-a-day work outs, weighing approx 160-165lbs with tons of muscle, sub 23min 5K runs and being in competetive boxing in 2011 to tipping the scales at 202 after the Superbowl in Feb 2014. I told my hubby "at least im a cute deuce"but I knew enough was enough.
I had constant excuses inclduing ongoing ankle and back injuries but I know it was exacerbatted by my weight so i signed up for my 4 week and a 6 month transformer. I also went to a dietecian and had food logs, food plans, work out logs, monthly body fat checks, and the dietbet. I went ALL in, hard. It took work but most of the weight came off and I was at 25min 5K runs. During those 6 months I went from fat to fitter but never quite got back to my previous shape. I had reached a happy, healthy point though putting on 6+lbs ofmuscle and loosing a large percent of fat. I reached a point where I knew that neither a transformer nor a 4 week would be feasible because it would take me to below the weight I was at when I was in my 2-a-day and competetive boxing years. I figured I had reached a good goal and was excited to finally close the book on those food logs and enjoy beer and wine with my friends and family more than once a month. I had transformed, or so I thought.
Over the next 6 months the weight slowly came back as I quit monitoring myself. I caught it early enough though and put myself back on the dietbet path and recovered. Happy again but this time it was easier because I didnt have as much weight to loose. I thought this would be maintainable and I was good to go. And I was for several months.
However, in the long run I was wrong. I got injured again, started working longer hours and going on more vacations. I had every excuse to just enjoy life when I could and not worry about my weight. After a few too many months like that...here I am now, nearly back to 200lbs again and signing up for 5 diet bets to really hold me accountable. It was never my intent to be riding this weight roller coaster but I am glad to be back on the loss side and even more excited that Dietbet has added a maintainer type bet to keep people like me accountable and to keep us from yo-yoing like this once we get to our desired weights. I am hoping its "3rd times a charm" for me and that when I get there this time I will keep it off.
I dont have an exact end weight goal but I would like to make it back and stay under 170 for sure and have a better fitness level. It's time to work hard the next few months hard and reduce my size but the big challenge comes afterwards finding a reasonable middle ground for the maintain phase, which is the rest of life. I'd love to look like the me in my profile picture, not the person I see when I take these full body shots now. I write this mainly for me but have made it public in hopes that it may help encourage others who have ridden the same roller coaster.