Anyone that knows me, knows that I’ve struggled with my weight over the years. I had gotten pretty heavy in college and lost about 50 lbs before our wedding. Pictured below is skinny Tyson from college (around 1997 or 1998)
but then we all know what happens after marriage . . . between 1998 and 2001, I put it all back on again. Below is a picture taken sometime in 2001 when I was at about 250-260 lbs.
So in 2001 I went on a 90 day program called Power 90 and lost about 60 lbs. in 90 days. Below are the pictures from that program. Picture 1 is from day 30, picture 2 is day 60 and picture 3 is the end of the program around day 85 when I weighed just less than 200 lbs. (Sorry about the quality of the pictures, but you get the idea).
Then in 2003, I went on a CRAZY program called Body Opus and got down to my leanest weight ever (around 180 lbs.) The pictures below were taken at the end of Body Opus in July of 2003.
After that, I just quit working out and went back to my old eating habits and here I am 5 years later back to “Fat Tyson” again. And therein lies the problem. Everything I do, I do to extremes. I wish I knew how to do things in moderation, but that’s never been me. If you’ve ever heard the Billy Joel song, “I Go To Extremes“, you would swear that he wrote that song about me. The chorus goes:
. . . I don’t know why I go to extremes
Too high or too low there ain’t no in-betweens
And if I stand or I fall
It’s all or nothing at all
Darling I don’t know why I go to extremes
Those lyrics are so true of me and my life. When I decide to do something, I’m in it 110%, but when I’m done, I’m completely done. In ways, it’s good because it’s what drives me and makes me so ambitious, but when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, I’m afraid it’s bound to be my demise. Sadly, I’m at the heaviest I’ve ever been. I weighed in this morning at 278 lbs (I’ll spare you the shirtless pictures).
I realize today that it’s time to make a change for good. I have son now who’s going to be very active very soon and I don’t want him to have a dad that can’t keep up with him. So today, I start a weight loss program for the 3rd (and final time). Since Power 90 worked really well for me the first time, I’m going to give it another go. This time, it will be (it has to be) a lifestyle change and not just another 3-month “extreme”.
So here’s the plan. Every Saturday, for the next 13 weeks I’m going to post my weight loss for that week right here on my blog. One thing I know is that most successful life changing programs involve some sort of accountability (that’s why people who go to weight watchers meetings succeed). Well . . . this is my accountability. If I know that even 3 or 4 people are reading this blog, and keeping track of my progress and holding me accountable, it will help me succeed. So if I start slacking off, or not posting my progress, I give you permission to tell me to suck it up and get with it.
Here’s to a happier healthier Tyson . . . starting today!!
