40 LBS.

YEAH, AS YOU MIGHT HAVE FIGURED, THIS IS A WEIGHT LOSS POST.  I FIRST, BECAME OBSESSED WITH WEIGHT LOSS, ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO.  I WAS WORKING IN A HOSPITAL, AND DOING VERY PHYSICAL WORK, WITH A DAUGHTER ON THE WAY, AND I FELT IT WAS TIME, TO STOP BEING SO UNHEALTHY.  ASIDE FROM AESTHETICS, I WANTED TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT MYSELF, FROM A SELF ESTEEM STANDPOINT.  I ENDED UP DROPPING WEIGHT REALLY FAST, AND HIT 165LBS. IN A FEW YEARS, AND THAT WAS DOWN FROM 250LBS.  IT WAS HARD, BUT, THE DEDICATION PROVED WORTH IT.  THE ONLY TIME I WAS DOWN TO 165LBS, BEFORE WAS WHEN I WAS HOMELESS IN CALIFORNIA.  SO THIS WAS A FEAT IN ITSELF FOR ME.  I WAS DOWN TO 165LBS, WHICH CONSISTED OF A LOT OF RUNNING AND LOW WEIGHT, HIGH REP WORKOUTS.  THIS LASTED A FEW YEARS, AND I ENDED UP RUNNING IN A RELAY, AND EVENTUALLY A HALF MARATHON.  I DIDN'T EVER THINK I COULD HAVE PULLED THAT OFF, AND THERE I WAS.  AROUND THE TIME I FIRST DECIDED TO LOSE WEIGHT, I STARTED TO WORK AT THE VITAMIN SHOPPE, AND I'M NOT NAME DROPPING HERE, IT WAS MY SECOND JOB WORKING AT NIGHT.  I LEARNED A LOT FROM THAT PLACE, AND STARTED TAKING SUPPLEMENTS, AND MY WORKOUTS BECOME MORE INTENSE, WITH HEAVIER WEIGHT, AND THEN A PUNCHING BAG WORKOUT.   I WASN'T PLANNING TO BE A FIGHTER, BUT, FIGURED IT WAS A GREAT WAY TO WORKOUT AND LET OFF STEAM.  THIS OCCURRED AT 4 AM, 6 DAYS A WEEK, BEFORE 2 JOBS, FOR ABOUT ALMOST 5 YEARS.  I DON'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED, BUT, I PULLED IT OFF.  I WAS NOW, AT A HEALTHY 185-190LBS. ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND CAME ACROSS AN MMA GYM.  THIS WAS RIGHT AROUND THE TIME THE UFC AND ULTIMATE FIGHTER, HAD RESURFACED INTO THE MAINSTREAM.

I STARTED TRAINING, AND, PAID ATTENTION TO WHAT I WAS TAUGHT, ADDING THIS INTO MY ALREADY CRAZY ROUTINE, 3 NIGHTS A WEEK.  THEN ONE DAY, WRESTLING MY COACH, I POPPED MY ARM OUT OF SOCKET.  THIS BROUGHT EVERYTHING TO A HALT.  MY TRAINING STOPPED, AND I HAD TO FOCUS ON OTHER ASPECTS OF LOSING WEIGHT.  I LIFTED WEIGHTS STILL, AND TRAINED ON THE PUNCHING BAG, AND DID MMA DRILLS, ON A REGULAR BASIS AFTER THAT, AS MUCH AS I COULD.  I HAD TALKED TO A DIETICIAN FRIEND AND SHE GOT MY DIET DOWN TO WHERE I COULD EAT AND HOVER AROUND 170-185LBS ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND THATS WHERE I WAS.  ONE DAY, WHILE RUNNING TO CATCH A BUS, I TRIPPED AND FELL ON MY SHOULDER, I POPPED OUT OF PLACE, AND THEN LATER THAT YEAR MESSED UP MY KNEE.  THIS SLOWED EVERYTHING WAAAAAY DOWN, AND I STARTED TO PUT ON WEIGHT AGAIN.  IT HAPPENS.  I NOW HOVER AT ABOUT 225LBS, BUT, I'M STILL VERY ACTIVE AT MY CURRENT JOB, SO IT'S NOT AN UNHEALTHY 225.  HOWEVER, I REMEMBER, WHAT I CALL THE PITBULL FEELING, WHERE YOU FEEL WORN OUT, BUT RELAXED, BECAUSE YOU KNEW YOU DID SOME SERIOUS WORK.  I WANT THAT BACK.  SO, THE GOAL, IS TO GET BACK TO 185LBS., WHICH HONESTLY ISN'T THAT HARD IN MY OPINION.  IT'S JUST A MATTER OF CONSISTENCY IN WORKING OUT.  THIS WILL BE A FUN JOURNEY, AND I'M MAKING IT PUBLIC, SO, I HAVE SOMETHING TO HOLD MYSELF TO.     -  925